Cold Eyes In A Pleasant Face
by suspensewriter
Summary: The year is after 2006. Kevin is a teacher in an exclusive school, he's so sure that nothing will stop him. But he's not the only Dominant there. There are others and they plan to stop him. Chapt 34 now up.
1. Discovery

The series Prey, and the characters of Tom, Sloan, Attwood, and Tate, and any appearing on that show are copyright, so hands off, don't touch, so there!! That also goes for the characters I invented.

This takes place after 2006 where John and Mary, Tom and Sloan's children are getting rather bored about being in a human school and have decided to play hooky. However, they are soon to come against an old and dangerous adversary.

COLD EYES IN A PLEASANT FACE

CHAPTER ONE .

Winter ended its cold deceitful frost, John and Mary, being children of the New Species, hated the cold, but it was better sitting outside than going to a school in which the teachers never challenged their intelligence. They decided that going on a sprint across the country would do them wonders.

It was then that Mary got an idea.

"We really should find out who Uncle Walters was before."

"Oh before he became Dr. Atwood."

"I know that he is not one of us, but he did help father and it is our duty as members of the new species — although there are others who would call us different —to assist him in case his former employer does betray him once more."

John sat down on the park bench, observing the normal children at play. He thought of the others like him and how they were killing, mingling their crimes with crimes of bestial men. He could understand why his own father wanted to be like the homo sapiens, why he hated his own kind so much that he would be willing to die for it.

But that was in the past and their father had come to terms with his own peculiarities.

"Are there others raised like us?" asked Mary.

"Father does not think there are many, but there will be more. Remember his own mother, our own grandmother turned him over to Lewis for training, and father is one of the chosen, one of our leaders."

They really had to help Walter Atwood. Although they looked like normal children, their intelligence made them seem more adult, and so they could not think of Atwood, not as an adult, but as an equal. For propriety's sake, however, they addressed him as Uncle Walter. It was the correct thing to do.

They could see a change, ever slight, in the ways things were run. Already father and mother planned to let their little brother, Edward attend Saint Catherines, although he was only three. However, Dominant children matured faster and Edward, named after Doctor Edward Tate, was as intelligent as a bright six year old and probably more.

The adults did not care for one of the teachers, mother particularly hated him and wished he would disappear from the planet, oh she said, "forget it, now that we have space travel. Maybe the black hole." She could not find anything on him. The teacher seemed so police and nice, too nice.

The records showed that Mr. Foster was an exemplary teacher, married once, now divorced, and had two children, girls, to whom he sent two thousand dollars child support, plus had them over for visits every second weekend, as well as New Years and Easter.

Not many on the earth knew about space travel. The dominants kept it a secret, using Area 51 (some had gotten employment in that area) to cover their tracks.

"Maybe this new teacher is one of us," said Mary.

"He couldn't be. I would have sensed it," said her brother.

"Unless he masked his presence. Most of the humans know that dominants are in this area except the nuns class them all as human."

"Yes and so do others and remember that when father and mother had us, mother's DNA did not show in us, except for your hair color and the way it waves."

"Mother told of this species called the Neanderthals whom her ancestors wiped out, much like our species are trying to wipe out the humans, but now it seems unnecessary. There are more being born like us and with proper education we don't turn out like that horrible person, Kevin."

Suddenly John had an idea. "That's how we can help Uncle Atwood, not finding who he was. He was probably under strict orders like father was when he assumed the role of an FBI agent. We are more intelligent, maybe we can find what this Kevin has become."

"We will have to get into Uncle Atwood's office and use his computer plus the identifier and we will have to get a biometric device, one that will mimic father's or mother's."

"But that wouldn't work. It would require cloning and to have two sets of parents would be confusing."

"What about cloning part of their fingers?"

That too seemed a bad idea. Cloning parts of a body meant the body deteriorated, besides their Roman Catholic upbringing was against it "Homo Sapiens like to be admired, Mary," said John, "we could go visit Uncle Atwood and ask him about his government work. How many terrorists did he capture?"

"That's a bright idea and then we'll get on his computer and track down Kevin. I wish we had brothers and sisters like the others." She pouted.

"Uncle Ed said they couldn't risk taking mother to one of their obstetricians and he couldn't trust our Medicals who may have worked with the group bent on eliminating the Sapiens." He smiled. "But they did save us and maybe next time, mother will have four babies like the mothers of our friends."

"Father and mother could adopt, children whose parents were killed by the Limousine Lady. That would not work either." Tom and Sloan had spent too much time hiding their presence from the semi military group after them, as well as the evil dominants who wished all homo sapiens to be annihilated.

Walter Atwood lived in a house on a large estate, surrounded by a brick fence complete with security camera and guards. The house had once belonged to a notorious gangster and under the rules of confiscation, Atwood had gotten it for a steal.

No one knew if Atwood was or had been married. There were rumors of a wife and daughter who died tragically, but no one could confirm that.. All John and Mary knew was that every year around October the fourth, Atwood would take a trip to Washington, DC and someone saw him go to the local cemetery.

The children used their natural charm on the guard who let them in, and actually drove them up to his employer's door. He was not, however, l that foolish for he asked another employee to watch the gate while he was gone.

Atwood seemed pleased to see the children, asking how they were and why they were not at school.

"We're rather old for that," said John.

"But," said Walter Atwood, "you were there for a reason so that you will remain undetected."

"We're bored."

"What was the name of that school?"

John told him.

"I'll see what I can do. Saint Catherines doesn't have a good gifted education program past the high school level, but there is another private school twenty miles in the country who has an excellent reputation. They accept only students from eight years and up." He stopped talking for a moment. "Eight years and up. I had better investigate it further."

"Maybe later," said John, "I heard you were on good terms with the President of the United States. Were you one of the Special Agents assigned to protect him or perhaps to train them?"

"I belonged to the Navy Seals, and was wounded, then I joined the Secret Service," said Atwood, "Do you remember from your history lessons when the President changed his schedule and..."

Mary looked through the CDRS. "Do you have 'Eliminator?' here?"

Now 'Eliminator' was one of the favorite Dominant children games, much like a Dungeons and Dragons type game. There were two versions, the Dominant one a holographic version and the Homo Sapien one, on PlayStation and the other game formats. Atwood had the latter version on his PC.

Since all his sensitive data was password protected, Atwood said it was all right for Mary to play the game and took John to his library to get a couple of books on the lives of Secret Service Agents and the Military in Action during the Gulf War.

Meanwhile Mary entered the information on Mr. Foster, and brought up his photograph. She also brought up Kevin's photograph, after when he killed that boy and seriously injured the other and before he left for the Dominant Training Program. "Now to see if they're the same person."

She looked for a morphing program, but knew that was not enough. Mary needed one of those programs used by Law Enforcement Agencies to unite missing children with their parents and Walter Atwood had one on his computer.

She first inserted Kevin's picture as it was easier to age then the reverse. She watched the changes as the picture changed from a small boy to a teen and then an adult male in his early twenties. "That's it, Kevin! We have you!"

Posted on Toys Prey sept 18,2004


	2. Kevin

CHAPTER TWO

Sixteen years old and he looked much older. It was part of the nature of the New Species, that after fifteen, they appeared as if they were in their twenties. This in itself was a blessing. People would look askance at someone in their teens with children half their age, but would not raise their eyebrows at someone in their early or mid twenties.

He took the last name, Adams. It was not that of his true father's. In fact, the surname of his true father's was not even his. The human who formerly owned it lay dead and besides only a few of the Homo Dominants, as the Sapiens called them and which name they now took as their own, had the original surnames of their ancestors.

The children, his children were in the care of his mate, a woman chosen by the Council, to bear offspring to a Dominant male of the upper level military.

She was not the one he would have taken, the female Daniella, thought to be all human, but like himself, a Progeny. She had her own mate, also a Progeny, Jose Vincula, the supposed son of Paulo and Maria Vincula, but in reality the child of Maria and a Dominant soldier, Dennis Grant. The Council had sent them to Chicago, to infiltrate the city and its surrounding metropolis so other Dominants could go there.

Daniella's grandmother, unaware of her granddaughter's true parentage, had attended the ceremony held in the local Roman Catholic Church, unaware that the priest proceeding over the service was himself a Dominant.

_Yes_, thought Kevin, we have done well. _The religious sector, the military sector, and the political sector have been infiltrated by us. Now I will join those of us who have wormed into the Sapien educational sector._

"Shall I drive you to the educational establishment?" asked his mate.

"No, according to the Sapien order of things, the females only drive their young offspring to the establishment. You must engage in the Sapien custom of tidying the house, inviting other Sapiens over, or talking to them over the customary wooden blockage."

"According to the informative video given by the Council, the customary wooden blockage has been replaced by e-mail, accompanied by many excursions to the Multi-Commercial establishments known as Malls."

"And the offspring?"

"The ones not yet ready will stay with me. The others will go to the School." By that she meant not the Sapien school her mate was going, but to the Dominant School her mate and her attended, which trained them in subterfuge, assassination, and other methods used to hide their presence.

Kevin said good-bye to his mate, avoiding showing the sign of Dominant affection. She was not his choice. The only time they came together was at the time of conception and it was not now. He then walked to his car, making the customary appearance of a Sapien male on his way to work.

The car was also not his choice, but he knew that in the Sapien world, educators did not have a high salary. It was over ten years old, had a few rust spots, and the trunk was dented. To further the look of moderation, Kevin's suit was the kind one picked up in Walmart or one of the cheaper commercial establishments.

He passed St. Catherines', the local Catholic school, and headed out on the highway, passing large residential, until he at last came to a road where the houses became larger, and set further apart from the road. He counted the mailboxes, saw the decorations that announced wealth, until he came to an area which by the Sapien play area, the concrete platform and the net, suggested that the students here were not the young Sapiens he supposed.  
  
On looking out the window of his car, Kevin saw myriads of Sapien youth and also caught the scent of his own kind.  
  
He watched the parents of the students let off their children those over the age of majority, it they were Dominants, and those still children, if they were Sapiens. So far, his own kind took no notice of him, being engaged in courtship rituals with others of their kind.  
  
After parking the car, Kevin took out his briefcase, and walked up the steps to the school.  
  
"Yes?" asked the administrator. "Can I help you."  
  
"Excuse me, I'm Lawrence O'Brian."  
  
"Oh yes, you're the new Botany teacher." She arose from her chair and came into the hallway. "I'll show you the teacher's lounge and were you can put your stuff."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
She opened the door to the lounge where several teachers were sitting or standing about, drinking coffee, tea, or preparing lessons. "This is Mr. Lawrence O'Brian the new Botany teacher."  
  
"Hello I'm Miss Nordstrum, I teach English literature."  
  
"And I'm Arthur Lang, the Biology Teacher."  
  
Kevin spent a good five minutes, shaking hands, and getting the feel of the staff. So far, none of them were Dominants which made his job easier. There were so many factions in the Dominant culture and he didn't want to come against one who believed in peace with the Sapiens at all costs  
  
Lang pointed to a locker on the far side of the lounge. 'That's your locker."  
  
"And here," said the administrator, "Is the schedule. The school has off days besides the usual Christmas and Easter Holidays."  
  
Kevin glanced at it and gave the appropriate nod.  
  
She also told him the salary which was what he expected, not much.  
  
"I'll show you to your class," said Lang who walked out with him.  
  
"Doesn't look like many," said Kevin as he noticed the halls almost empty,  
  
"Don't; worry, things will pick up tomorrow. This only a week after Labor day. We get the bright ones from the other schools and it takes time for them to give them the tests. Now here's your class."  
  
There were nine students in it, more girls than boys. Since this was a primary Anglo and Mexican area, the students showed that makeup. They answered to such names as Shirley, Brittany, Harold, Carlos, Miguel, Donna, Linda, Elena, and James. At one corner of the room stood a table with a terrarium and on the wall were pictures of various plants with their Latin names. Each desk had a place for a plug in, and the blackboard had a chalk drawing of the State Flower, giving an example of its reproductive capabilities.  
There was also a chart which Kevin was interested in, showing the various mushrooms and toadstools along with identifying marks and the effects of the poisonous variety.  
  
On his desk was the textbook, one suited more for University then for eight and nine year olds. This was, of course, an advanced class.  
  
Kevin smiled and stood in front of the class who turned to him with rapt attention.  
  
"Good morning Class, I am," he said as he wrote his name on the blackboard, "Your new Botany Teacher, Mr. Lawrence O'Brian. Now, class, take out your text books and turn to page 134."


	3. Enrolment

CHAPTER THREE

Tom and Sloan were naturally annoyed that their children did not want to attend St. Catherine's anymore.

"Look we know what's best. Others are not sure about our species and you know what happened when we took that trip to New England back in 2001."

"But others have mates, why not we?" asked Mary.

"As future Chosen, you have a great responsibility, besides I have made arrangements with the Rodriguez family," said their father, "for your union with Richard."

"Richard?" Mary almost dropped her handbag.

"His ancestors and mine came from the same country and he is also of the Chosen."

"But Roderick is the Executioner. I am to marry the Executioner's great grand child?"

"And what about me, father?" asked John, "Have you chosen one for me yet?"

"Yes, she is attending the same school which Walter Attwood has told me about, one that already has at least twenty students of our species. She is a healthy female, Elena La Guardia, a progeny like you."

"So Mary gets to unite with a full Dominant while I get a progeny."

"Richard is a progeny. Roderick's grand son was elected for the Seduction Program. Richard's father was raised by Homo Sapiens in a military establishment and knew Kevin since he returned to the fold."

"We hope to get Kevin," said Mary.

"He's dangerous," said their mother.

Something clicked in the children's mind. "Was Elena's father also created by a Seductor?" asked John.

"Yes," said their father.

On hearing this, John and Mary whispered between themselves. It was so convenient. Attwood must have inform their parents about using the aging program on the computer and since he had a hard drive recovery program, must have been the picture of Kevin being morphed into an older man. Their parents had never mentioned about mates for them. In the Dominant Society, unions were arranged and the children did not know their future spouse until the ceremony.

And they knew —although they hoped different —that their chosen mates would be progenies like themselves. The traits of Homo Sapiens and Homo Dominants were too fragile combined to risk uniting with a pure strain and reducing the protective area that both unions would bring. Such experiments were done in the slave or lower class, perhaps the middle class, but not the upper class Chosen society.

Actually no matter if a Dominant mated with a Sapien, and his child mated with a Sapien, and so on down the line, the children would always be as if it was the first time a Dominant mated with a Sapien. Unless a famine swept the land, in no way did the Sapien strain assert itself. It was lost forever. But there was protocol. You mated only with your own sub species, unless your mate died, and then you could have a second union of your choosing.

Attwood had called and said he knew someone who would take the children to the new school. :"If they think that Kevin is there, and he is, he would spot me coming. However, he has not seen the children, not since they were infants, if at all. Besides Major Henderson is a good friend of mine from Washington and his wife will take them home at four."

The school was not a boarding school. If you lived in the district, you either took a bus, a taxi or your parents or guardians took you. It had staggering classes, starting at eight and ending at two for those who lived close by, starting at nine and ending at three for those who were a little further, and for those who were at the far end of the district like John and Mary, it started at ten and ended at four.

However, once enrolled, you were given homework and expected to do it on the long trip home.

This, however, did not deter the children. They were used to work that would tire humans, but their parents discouraged them — something about a visit to the East Coast when they were small. Most of what John and Mary remembered was there was a lot of shooting and Sapiens falling down. Their father said it was a take over, but they didn't see any men in Ninja suits, or any in Darth Vader helmets walking behind the invaders. Everyone appeared normal.

Most of the time they spent in the company of a grown up girl of twelve to fourteen who gave them chocolate cake with that whipped cream frosting you found in fancy restaurants and which mother and father said was way too expensive. The grown up girl had a mate who wanted to give them that red liquid that Mother took on holidays and which caused her to sing "I Need a Hero" before giggling, but the grown up girl said they were too young.

When they were six, they got a letter from the Advocate with brochures about Opera Houses in Europe which said that since they were Progenies, they could do things of both sub races. Mary took up violin while John decided to learn the drums.

That was not what their parents had in mind and there were countless hours of Mother explaining to Father that the children "are not torturing or experimenting on the neighboring cat."

"The school is called The West Coast Academic Achievement Academy," said their father, interrupting their reverie. "They don't have a boarding program there like at the School."

By the School, he meant the Dominant School. There were two official ones, one in California and one in Connecticut, but the Counsel was thinking of converting an old warehouse in New York and another in Las Vegas. No one, outside of the Homo Dominant culture knew the Schools existed.

"But Major Henderson will be here shortly. It is already eight and it takes two hours to drive there," said their mother.

"Two hours?" asked Mary.

"Yes," said their father, "get your backpack, pens, food, and equipment ready."

The doorbell rang and a Sapien man in an Air Force Uniform stood there along with a Dominant boy around nine years old.

Mary took one look at the boy, and whistled.

"Well I'll put your bags in the trunk, young lady," said Major Henderson, "Oh and this is my son, Richard, well actually he's my stepson, but I sometimes forget."

Tom and Sloan saw none of Kevin's deceit for his stepfather nor any of the disdain in Richard. The Major looked as if he would brook no nonsense.

"We expect a favorable report from the school," said Tom as he bid the children goodbye.


	4. Music

CHAPTER FOUR

Elena watched the other children, the human children, play at their games. Once she was like them, skipping and playing — that is, until her true species found her.

Her father was a Dominant and her mother, a Sapien. It had been, what was termed, a brief encounter, and her mother had no idea that that moment of passion had produced a little daughter. She was her mother's little miracle, the child she thought she would never have. The child she never deserved.

Elena's mother was a prostitute, ridden with syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS, it was only because of the father being a Homo Dominant, that Elena came into the world. The woman varied between taking care of her baby and doing tricks and it was only by the will of God that Elena survived.

The Dominant Counsel had recruited her father for the Seduction program and he had no idea of the woman's profession. She lied and said she was engaged. She was young at the time, sixteen and had been in the trade since she was twelve. She looked to be in her twenties. Anyway, he had no time to ask. The job was to get a Homo Sapien female pregnant, let her husband or fiancé range the infant. At eight years old, the child would know its true nature, and seek out its own.

It wasn't a conscious intention, more like knowing that one didn't belong. Elena had felt it, complaining to her mother, and when out in the street, acting more mature, being stronger than the other kids, seeing the neighborhood through a reddish glow, and hearing things from a distance as though she was up close.

The Dominants had found her, and using their highly sophisticated portable equipment, found her mother, and then united the girl with her father. Oh the mother made a show of emotion, of how she loved her daughter, and cared for her, and fed her. Oh what lies! The neighbors hold how they had to feed little Elena, the old woman who lived at the apartment next door told how she gave Elena some cookies, a glass of milk, etc.

But the social worker said that the girl belonged with her mother and not with a father who just showed up. The night of her sixth birthday, someone sneaked into the mother's apartment, and broke her neck. Elena went with her father, and became Elena La Guardia, the name her father took from the human he killed.

"Elena, Elena, there's some new kids!" This was from Barry who had a crush on her, although he did not approach her intellectual level.

"Not interested," she said, although the boy getting out of the car made her heart beat. He was so handsome, with his brown hair and blue eyes. The girl following him was also a looker, her hair long and wavy and with a touch of red. And they were of her kind.

Elena licked her lips. Already at eight, she was mature enough for mating, but her father had not made any arrangements, at least to her. All she knew was that the family decided to whom she was to be united.

And then she saw him. Richard the great grandson of the Executioner and the human Major. This meant importance!

"Do you have your admission forms?" asked the Major.

"Yes," said the girl. Both boys nodded.

Elena followed. She watched the older Sapien talk to the secretary, and then an older woman take the three to their respective classes. "We don't usually like twins together in the same classroom;" she said, "but this is not a large school. Do you have your test results from the last school?"

"Yes, "said the girl, "will I be in the same room as Richard?"

"We don't have homerooms as such," said the older woman, "but we move from subject room to subject room. It'll just take five minutes." She saw Elena. "You wait here and conduct them to the next class."

Five minutes later, the secretary gave the signal and Elena took them to their class. "Your records came through. You will be entering Mr. Warren's class first. He's the musical instruction teacher. Right now they're studying the effects of fauna and flora on the tools used for musical expression. Mr. Warren?"

"Come in." He was a pleasant looking man, but he was not Kevin.

They sat in the only empty seats and looked in their desks. It contained a book about Classical Music, a book of note staff paper, plus a catalogue containing various instruments along with their prices and the school discount.

"You don't suppose we have to know this stuff?" asked John with disdain. Homo Dominants didn't have the emotions of Sapiens. True they danced, but they preferred not to sing.

The teacher tapped his ruler. "All right class, if any of you are unable to afford an instrument the school will pay for it. We have several clarinets, trumpets, trombones, and violins on hand. For those who wish to sing and dance, please come up and sign your name."

About five or six boys and girls arose. They were all Sapiens.

"Now for the rest of you, as you can see, there are several instruments you might be unfamiliar with. In this class, we learn about the history of music, also how to construct the instruments, as well as the main European composers such as Bach, Beethoven, and the American composers such as Rogers and Hammerstein. Any questions?"

"Yes," said Elena, "I'm not musical. What purpose is this?"

"To learn how each culture valued a certain type of music and not others. We will start first with the ancient Egyptians. Those of you who chose an Egyptian harp, will learn how to construct it using the ancient tools. Those of you who chose the pipes, will do likewise. The acting class will be doing a scene in which Rameses the Second is being entertained. You will all learn how they played that type of music, the instrument will guide you."

For some reason, the Dominant children felt that the teacher would not approve of drums Besides their ancestors did not come from areas where drums were common in ancient times. John chose a guitar. Mary castanets, and Elena decided on Flamenco Dancing.

Richard chose a horn. It was the instrument of his ancestors, the Visigoths who invaded Spain in the fifth Century. He would have to find the appropriate material, and bone up on the culture of his forefathers. He wished that his ancestors had been ancient Romans or the original Iberians. There was lot of material on them, but when the Allies decided on the Hercules Project, they first went into isolated villages and areas first where the population hadn't changed for hundreds or a thousand years. It was his bad luck, or rather his great great grandfather's bad luck to come from a nation that had lasted only a few hundred years.

"I'm glad you are willing to try, Miss La Guardia," said the teacher. "You realize you will have to construct your own costumes. Parents and relatives are allowed to help, of course. The magazine showing where you can get authentic material is on the third shelf."

The class was after all interesting. In that, Sapiens valued music meant that they, being Dominants, could understand them. And already the Homo Dominant culture was developing a love of music, albeit of a different vein. Theirs was in a minor key, ranging from slow to fast while the Sapiens were mainly major keys.

Their dances were also different, the round dances, the square dances, the walzes, the two together were unknown. No, the Dominants danced with weapons in their hands, the axe, the knife the rifle, the Aka 747, the garrote, the rope, and if one didn't watch one's feet, one lost them. It was the dance of the victors while the instrument players used the guitars, horns, and a combination piano organ with four sets of keys one on top of the other and operated by a small chip hidden inside in lieu of the electric chord or batteries...

Of course there were the wedding dance for honoring the couple and celebration dances done for honoring new adult Dominants. The weapon dance was done to honor the new ones, the little ones born and acknowledged by the Counsel, but the wedding and celebrations were different. It was for the females, those getting united or joined, and those whose sons and daughters were now officially adult Dominants. These dances were mainly taken from the countries their ancestors came, but always they played that minor tone, that tone that spelled of struggles of their species and the hoped for destruction of their enemies.

But such were only performed in those gatherings where only Dominants were present.

They left the class and started towards their next, Calculus. It was then that Mary put her hands to her mouth. She recognized the handsome man in the auburn hair chatting with a young female teacher, a blonde with the classic looks of Sweden.

"What is it, Mary?" asked John.

"It's Kevin!" .


	5. Masking

CHAPTER FIVE

Seeing Kevin was one thing, keeping him from seeing them was another. They had to Mask, not the full version, but the one that kept others from detecting them as Dominants.

"Partial," Mary whispered to Elena and Richard while pointing at Kevin.

There was no time to ask for why. Their faces impassive, they concentrated on being Sapiens, speeding their heart rates, increasing their perspiration, disguising the Dominant lack of intense body odor with their own, getting from their inner selves, the sense of their ancestry. There were no wrinkling of the foreheads, no moving the eyes back so only the whites appeared, it was just the intense movement of emotions long since vanished to the back side of their brain, to a part not easily accessed by their Species, a part that Sapiens only learned to ignore through repeated abuse and exposure to violence and emotional pain..

However, Kevin was more interested in discussing the next lesson plans with another teacher The effect on the others were that their efforts met with victory.

Relieved, Mary turned to her brother and her two friends. "We succeeded," said Mary.

"Do you believe so?" asked Elena. "What was the purpose?"

"Don't you know who that is?"

"Lawrence O'Brian, the Botany Teacher." She turned her head back to give Kevin another look. "He's one of us? But the body odor, the Sapien perspiration."

John had the answer. "That means he's Masking as well and he's had more experience. He can keep it up longer."

"Perhaps he doesn't know who you are. Who are you?"

"They're the Chosen's children," said Richard who pulled them into an empty classroom, "I heard of Kevin, how he tried to kill the Chosen's mate."

"No that was the Randall clone," retorted Elena, "that was common knowledge"

"Well if The Chosen had not been there, Kevin would have killed her. We should have our next class soon." He took out a small notebook "It's physics. The teacher's a Sapien. We need to practice our technique." His face showed disappointment. Sapiens were easy to Mask, but their kind made it more difficult.

They needed a Dominant teacher to practice on, but they needed his or her cooperation. Elena checked through the schedule, but it appeared that botany was the next assignment after physics and then lunch. They hadn't much time.

All through the physics class, the young people concentrated between listening to the teacher, seeing how far an airplane flew depending on whether it was made with twenty pound paper, balsam wood, or iron. One of the other students suggested they make the planes entirely with feathers which brought snickers from the Homo Dominants in the class and laughs from the Homo Sapiens.

John was getting quite bored, but another student whispered, "He's reeling us in. They get harder each time. Names Nicolas."

"I'm John, that's my sister Mary, and my two friends, Elena, and Richard."

Nicolas gave them a wave. "Me too, although I make believe I'm rather easy going. Keeps them confused."

"Confused? Who?"

"The teachers, the ordinary ones. The strange ones catch on to me rather quickly and I don't mind."

_He must mean_ us, thought John who started to get a bit hostile. "Strange?"

"Like you. Smarter than everyone else. At least you even things up. If there's more of you, I won't get called a smart aleck by my parents or four eyes."

He was extremely near sighted, and John already suspected that in a few years he would be completely blind. For that reason, his other instincts had picked up. He could sense the difference between homo dominants and homo sapiens. John figured that Nicolas might prove useful. "What do you know about that botany teacher?"

"He's too confident and he gives me the creeps. Even the strange ones have to get used to us, you know, Dowdie Howsers. That's what my Dad said we were. Going to University at fifteen. Becoming lawyers and doctors way before everyone else."

The teacher cleared his throat and said something about lazy bums warming the seat to which Nicolas replied, "Discriminating against the nearly blind, Mr. Teacher?" and leaned back in his chair. "'sides Ophelia fools around as well, you don't give her any trouble or perhaps you have it in for us Russian-Americans."

The teacher almost turned red faced. "That will be enough from you, Mr. Ravonich. You know how we feel about Racial Prejudice."

But Nicholas Ravonich had made his point and Ophelia was also sulking. "He'll treat us more equal from now on."

When the class was over, John had Nicolas join their group. For all his practical jokes, and easy going manner, Nicholas was quite ingenuous. Of course, his intelligence didn't match theirs, but he knew more about the school than they did. He also knew where everything was and his senses were so acute — for a homo sapien —that even if something was moved, he could navigate without tripping or getting caught.

John explained who O'Brian really was. "He killed the wife of a friend of my father and he killed his own stepfather."

"I can't stand my big sister, but I'd never resort to killing her. Actually she's going with this creep, , and I'm hoping she marries him and makes his life miserable. He's a stupid big lug. So where do we start?"

"You said you know who we are? Okay, it's five minutes before our next class."

They all Masked. For a moment, Nicholas was stunned, and then he concentrated as hard as he could. "What happened to you. You're ordinary!" He started to panic and then John and the others returned to normal. "You can do that?"

"Yes. How long did it take for you to learn to improve your senses?"

"I started to go blind when I was six and gradually everything picked up. But since that teacher's like you, he might know what you are."

Mary whispered to Elena. "Not good."

"Unless you find a teacher like us who'll cooperate and keep us away from Mr. O' Brian's class," said Richard.

"Leave that to me," said Nicolas who moved quickly towards a waste paper box and threw something in it. As a whisper of smoke ascended, he rushed towards the fire alarm and broke the glass. "Fire! Fire!" he yelled.

Quickly Richard ran and got the fire extinguisher, "One of the older students threw a cigarette in the waste paper basket," he said to a student. He knew that this school was a smoke free zone and that the authorities were afraid of second hand smoke..

The teacher blew her whistle, another teacher informed the principal who rang the fire alarm bell. "All right this is a fire drill!"

Once outside, Nicholas pointed out the Dominant teachers. In the excitement, they, except for Kevin, did not use their protective emotional shields. John and Mary were able to identify one or two teachers who could help. They gradually moved closer to one of them, a man in his thirties, auburn hair, and looking as though he belonged to the Advocate's family.

"So you are John and Mary of the Chosen House. I am honored."

"So are we," said John, "You have heard of Kevin, the Progeny, the one who almost eliminated our existence?"

"I heard of such. Our cooperation will ensure our survival. What is your request."

"O"Brian is Kevin and if he knew of us, he would kill us and our mother. Although she is a Sapien, our father has affection for her."

"I cannot help you unless you tell me your request."

"We can mask our Dominant presence from a Sapien whose almost blind and whose other senses have increased, but we're are still learning."

"You realize that to be able to Mask, you must bring all your emotions forward, not only the negative ones. It takes years."

"We do not have years."

"What do you have?" he asked.

John told him. They were able to Mask against young Dominant children, mostly so they wouldn't know what they were up to. But the Dominants had less emotional material than Sapiens. Things that bothered ordinary men and women didn't bother them. When they saw a car accident which involved their friends, they didn't panic, but remained calm. Now they were told to imagine panic, to delve deep inside, to get to the instinctual part of the brain that Sapiens still used. The frontal lobe became secondary rather than primary, just as Sapiens who often acted without thought — to a Dominant mind anyway.

The brain of a Dominant went at a faster pace, required more nourishment, they saw things, heard things, things had a reddish glow because their senses were honed for hunting. Now they had to imagine themselves as their prey, feel the sweat, dull the mind, and the senses and so fool the teacher.

They were able to hold the Mask for five minutes. It was not enough time to fool Kevin.

"Maybe we can say that we're sick," said Elena.

The other three shook their head. Sickness was considered shameful among Dominants and if Kevin was brought to the Council for his crimes; that would make their testimony against him useless.

"We can't Mask that long," said Mary, "even against the teacher, and we're due in Botany class. Kevin will find us out and kill us."

It was hopeless. Nicholas' plan had given them a reprieve, but unless someone thought about something, they would have to spend the next forty-five minutes in Mr. O'Brian's class. How were they going to get out of that situation?


	6. Pregnancy

CHAPTER SIX

Tom sat in front of the large HDTV watching his favorite show. It was strange that a Homo Dominant would find such idiotic shows such as Three Stooges Reruns interesting, but the antics of the comedians, the skill they put into making themselves buffoons taught much to the Dominant brain.

To act stupid, one had to be intelligent. The actor who fell on the stage, had to know how to slip without injuring oneself, just as the wrestler had to know how to simulate intense pain when his opponent crushed him. Consequently the opponent had to know how to fall just inches away from his victim so the cameras would not see the miss.

Sloan was throwing up over the sink. She had just found out that she was pregnant, a long time after the first pregnancy. Nine years was quite a stretch, not that she had not been pregnant before, but this was the longest time she had carried the babies since her first pregnancy.

The Medicals said it was because she was a weak child. This time, they made her take precautions. The tests revealed the infants were normal for Dominants. . She had one month left of morning sickness to go, and then she would suddenly burst out. Sloan hated the analogy, her like a balloon.

"I have to get some work done," she said after turning on the dispenser.

"You must sit down or stay in bed," said Tom.

"It's the bullet. It interfered with me carrying the children to term. Why wasn't it fixed before?" she asked.

"The Medicals had to be careful. Those who hate us are still in the hospitals. You were lucky."

Yes, Sloan had been lucky. A hospital strike had ensured that her problem could be fixed, but now she worried about the children. "Kevin's a teacher at the school."

"There are other Dominants there, older Dominants."

"But they can't protect themselves. The Major came back and said that someone pointed out the Science room."

"I got into the school's computer and learned that Kevin is a Botany Teacher and that the class would have started about ten minutes ago, except for a fire drill."

"Fire drill? How'd you know?"

"All fire drills are supposed to be monitored by the Fire Department, just in case, it isn't a drill. It rang at ten fifty-five. It's now eleven fifteen and the students should be entering the classrooms." He reached for his cell phone. "The children needed more intense instruction into Masking. You are extremely ill, the Medicals do not know if you will survive. At such cases, a female's children should be present."

He hated to do such subterfuge, but it was necessary, but it was too coincidental.

The phone was busy. Apparently there were other wealthy students attending the school and their parents were worried. Tom put his tracer on the numbers. All the Chosen got tracing equipment. It was necessary to find out dissidents or to find out if the Sapiens were after them, but the calls were only local parents near the school checking up on why their kids were outside past recess.

There were no outside calls and he couldn't make one, until someone else from out of the area telephoned about their children.

"I'm going to monitor the calls from the households, those telephoning out of the area," he said.

He continued to do so, checking to see if a nearby parent called someone out in the country. This area of California had several families who owned estates as well as the rental trailers of the poor whose children won scholarships to the school. Tom knew enough Spanish to be able to pick out the conversations. Even though they were poor, many of them had cell phones, discarding them when the three or four month trial period ran out.

Soon he pinpointed one call, a mother of one of the girls who lived across the street from the school called a mother of a girl who lived in a trailer out in the country. "I'll wait for some more calls and then we can cut in."

"Why?"

"Because we have to make it look as if we're concerned about your health. You're dying."

"I am?" Sloan was shocked at this news. She knew she felt bad, but not that bad.

"No you will live the normal life span for a Sapien and past that. However, John and Mary know about the offspring not born and your age, a Dominant female would last longer." He proceeded to call the operator and asked her to cut in. claiming that his wife was pregnant, they lived out in the country, he had already called the doctor, but he wasn't sure that she'd last the whole day. "Yes, John and Mary Daniels," he told the vice principal, "as long as you don't disturb the rest of the class. I'll send someone to pick them up."

Richard and Elena would have to come as well. He then called the Major's wife who agreed to get out all four of them.


	7. Evasion

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kevin was surprised when he found four empty seats near the back of his class. The vice principal informed him that there was a family emergency, but the Dominant felt it too convenient.

However, when five more students disappeared, he figured that the students used the excuse of the fire drill to play hooky _So it was just an excuse. Well when they get back tomorrow after their little trip to the movies, I will have double work for them. _

He glanced at the poster he found in one pupil's desk, a pupil with thick glasses called Nicholas. He had left as well.

The other pupils piled in and rushed into their seats. One tried to take Nicholas' seat since he was close to the front, but Kevin told him to "Get back to your own seat." He then took a note of the missing students including Juan and Maria Gutierrez, in reality John and Mary Daniels. The Council thought it a stroke of irony that The Chosen use the name of his Homo Sapien ancestor in registering his children. Kevin, not being a member of the Council and persona non grata in Dominant society would never know nor learn of this fact.

Richard and Elena's names weren't changed, both of their families not as important. Besides that Valdez or Valdes family had so many Richards or Roderigos in it, and even Elena's last name of Lopez was so common that it needed not a second look. However all the Dominants knew that Tom Daniels had married with a Sloan Parker, so in order to not arouse Kevin's suspicion the Council had changed the name of the parents, they went back to Tom's original ancestor's surname, that of Gutierrez.

Anyway Kevin figured that Richard and Elena had known this Juan and Maria for some time and they were skipping school. The Council had put down a fake address for Tom and Sloan next door to the Valdez family and Elena Lopez lived down the block.

Of course, Kevin knew none of this as he taught what class was there.

Meanwhile outside, Nicholas and the other four students including Richard and Elena, watched the Major's car pull up. Two of his new friends, Richard and Elena headed over with Tom and Mary to the car.

"They're gone. Brittany, how much have you got?" he asked a girl.

"Five bucks."

"I've got three. And you, Miguel," he asked the other boy.

They giggled as they sat on a bench and counted their small change, mostly quarters, dimes, and nickels.

"Six," said Miguel and then wrinkled his nose. "We can't get to see it. We're not sixteen yet."

"Ah only grown ups can get in?" asked Brittany,. "I can."

"Oh sure sure. Maybe you can be one of the little people."

"A munchkin," said Nicholas

"No," said Miguel, "Brittany what's the show your older sister watched?"

"Snurfs ."

"Okay Nick, have any blue paint?"

But that wouldn't work. They would have to break into the storage room.

"Say Nicholas," said Miguel, "Doesn't your dad have a rain coat?"

"Yes."

"Okay, Brittany we're heading over to Nick's place."

"Wait for me, my leg's are smaller than yours."

The three ran across the field to a large sandstone colored house with a white brick fence. In spite of his poor eyesight, Nicholas opened the latch, and found the key hidden in the flower pot under the gardenias. He came out later with his fathers raincoat.

"I'm bigger so I'll put you on my shoulders," he said and handed Miguel something out of his pocket. "I got some glue."

"Okay." Miguel put the glue on his upper lip and attached some of his hair that he pulled off of his head. "How do I look?"

"Careful getting on. Brittany you do up the buttons."

"Can't reach that high."

"Use the bench."

"Just a minute, I can't hold on." She fell on the ground. "Why can't we do it later on?"

"Say I've got another idea," said Nicholas.

"Like that raincoat bit. You know it wouldn't work." Miguel put his head in his hands.

"No!" Nicholas took the glue from Miguel and put some on his upper lip. "Okay, I can't see very well." He pointed to himself. "We're going to be midgets."

"No!"

"But what about clothes?" asked Brittany.

Nicholas grabbed the raincoat and ran back to his house. He appeared moments later with two jackets and a woman's hat plus some lipstick. "Mom's. You put some on and you'll look all grownup. Miguel, you put on this jacket and here's a clip on tie."

A few minutes later, the three went down to the movie house.

"Okay," said Miguel who changed to a gruff grown-up voice. "We're like three tickets please."

They were soon on their way to the theater. However, things didn't go as they wished. The ticket manager was quite astute and the three children who said they were little people on leave from the circus didn't fool her at all. She gave them a swift lecture and called their parents.

The three were bundled off to their prospective households to await the punishment they needed.

Nicholas got a lecture all in Russian about how back in the old country, he wouldn't have this privilege. Miguel's mother wept and said her son was a wastrel. The girl, Brittany, whose parents were quite rich, got told that since their family came to California back before the gold rush, no one except for her had disgraced the family name.


	8. Training

CHAPTER EIGHT

Tom's residence looked like most houses in the neighborhood, no high fences, no Doberman Pinschers, or Pit Bulls with snarls roaming the vast estate, no security camera taking pictures. It presented nothing for anyone to know that The Chosen of one of the most dangerous intelligent species on Earth lived there.

The high fences, guard dogs, security cameras, and estates would come later when Tom acquired his finances using proven Homo Sapien techniques of achieving power, that is, through either the business, financial, medical, or legal field. Right now, Tom worked as a tracker for a bounty company based in New England. His job was to find those who jumped bail in the South West United States area and send that information to the parent firm in New England and as of yet did not command a ten thousand a month pay check.

He was about to go to work when it happened, the false fire alarm at the school, and the phone call. Since he worked out of his home, there was no need to call to work. However, he had employees and so he called each of them and gave them instructions to investigate the employees in a certain check cashing company, looking for someone who had just got employment in the last four months and if they found these individuals to leave a message on his answering machine. He then waited for his offspring to arrive.

The Major's car came two hours later and the children piled out of the car to stand before the rather stern Supreme Chosen.

Tom looked at the four young people. "So you found Kevin and you're afraid of discovery."

Mary and Elena shook. To be acknowledged as fearful was a social taboo in Dominant society. Dominants were not supposed to show terror. Even when being tortured, they were to keep their cool and show no emotions.

"Our Masking technique is inadequate to prevent his knowing what we are and with his knowledge, he might ensured to overthrow you, father," said John.

"We did ask one of the teachers, of our own kind, to help us, but we could only hold the Mask that makes one believe we are Sapiens for a limited amount of time," said Mary.

"And you two?" he asked Richard and Elena, "you have no experience or history with Kevin, why are you here?"

"Because he might have seen us talking to your children, Chosen," said Richard.

"And have you not learned enough about subterfuge to keep that from happening?"

This brought out a reluctant no.

"Very well. This technique is usually taught only to those who are fifteen years old. It takes much concentration. You will all follow me to the field outside." He then thanked the Major's wife who left.

The field was part of the local park which included several olive and orange trees, but it was largely neglected. Here patches of dry ground, soda bottles, and old newspapers spoiled the ground. Sometimes the local police had to drive off an old bum or a young couple who used it for their lovemaking, but because of a going fight between the city and the state, this area destined for a play area complete with tennis and badminton courts was largely left alone.

The Gutierrez house as well as the other houses of the neighborhood surrounded the park including the field. Right now some youngsters were playing soccer, shouting alternatively in English and Spanish, and keeping away from the trees. When Tom and Sloan built their house here, they were the only residents and it had once been a farm. The olives and orange produced a considerable income and attracted the attention of more people. The population grew so that at least twenty houses grew around the area. The trees remained and a market garden grew besides it and someone built a factory which produced California Olive Oil and Natural Orange Juice.

However the area where the former farmhouse stood was a mess. They didn't want to import soil in it, and the yard had been a receptacle for old vehicles. Oil seeped in the ground as well as other contaminants. The State cleaned out the area, but nothing would grow there. Even though all danger of contamination was gone, the State was playing it safe and said there would be no construction until at least 2020.

As for Sloan, she worked out of her house helping in the reconstruction of faces from bits of bones left from unsolved murders. The basement of the house had been converted into a laboratory, but with her pregnancy, she had taken leave and there were no police or detective cars or morgue trucks driving up for her help.

"Okay you kids, beat it," said Tom as he came upon the soccer team.

"Sí Señor Gutierrez."

After they cleared off, Tom started right away to teach the four young people. "All right, you have to think of yourselves as Sapiens, imagine the odor, but keep your true presence back in your minds, if not you may find yourselves forgetting what you can do."

"Is that like what Nugeneis Two did?" asked Elena, "I learned about it in introductory chemistry at The School."

The School referred to the Dominant School not the highly exclusive one they attended. All Dominant children went there to learn about their species. However, the Dominant School was farther south, near Baja California. They attended it during the summer months where they would be taught their history plus what they needed to survive.

"The Sapiens believe you have to concentrate until your brow wrinkles," said Tom, "but that is unnecessary. We have deep in our brain the seed of our ancestors. Use your imagination. Imagine the smell coming from that field."

"Yes father," said John.

It was a hard technique for those who had little natural emotion. In a fact it was like acting and since all of the children were Progenies, it was easier for them than it had been for Tom. The pleasant smiles of the Sapiens came easy for them but the projection took time. In a way it was sort of like ventriloquism, but rather than throwing their voice, they were throwing their emotions.

Now it has been assumed that Masking makes one invisible. That is further from the truth. One can still see the person who is Masked; however, by Masking, his or her Dominant sense is suppressed. It is used by Dominant Assassins to keep other Dominants who might oppose them from being detected. It is a dangerous technique and taught only by Dominants who have already mated and whose children are almost at that stage. However most Dominant children know a rudimentary version of it which is what the Gutierrez, i.e. the Daniels children and their friends knew.

"All right all of you think of something that angers you."

They all agreed and their faces changed. Anger was the emotion that was strong in the Dominant species. They all thought of something and Tom could feel the hate that would lead to kill if not controlled.

"Now change that emotion to sadness. Think of if someone killed all the little ones, viewing the mutilated bodies, the generations that will not be born."

It took a little while longer, but that emotion soon showed itself. They were so engrossed that they didn't hear a car drive up.

"You are not supposed to teach them that." It was an older man, white hair almost platinum, and very familiar.

"I thought you wouldn't associate with me," said Tom.

"I just returned from visiting my son and his mate," said Lewis, "and I heard about Kevin. Even I who despise the treaty made with the humans, ah, Sapiens, do not fancy such a person as Kevin influencing our children and perhaps overthrowing the Council."

"So you agree that we are correct?"

"Time will tell. So far you have been successful in presenting us with an appropriate scenario. You, however, are not a Mentor and only a Mentor can teach the children. Come, all of you!"

"Yes sir," said John.

"You seem to have mastered anger and sadness, but Sapiens have tears. Even your father had difficulty producing such. And you have to mix the emotions like the Sapiens so you can bring them to the surface without thinking." He waved his hands in front of their face. "Mix the sadness and the anger. When you mastered that, you will be able to proceed to the next level. Have you all had nourishment?"

"The wife of the Sapien Major took us to the Sapien Quick Meal Establishment," said Mary.

"The one with the Arches," said Elena.

"Good. Wait here." He went back to his car and brought out a thermos and four cups. "Drink this. It is what the Sapiens use to prolong alertness. Extremely beneficial and strong."

They showed no emotion as they drank the strong coffee.

And so the training began. They had to master in one night what Tom had taken months and years to do. They were not given rest periods between to recover. Each aspect of the emotion building was done in steps. First, anger and sadness, and then tears and happiness, surprise, and joy — each building block of our emotions transferred to a cool and ruthless people. And then came the blending which took to two o'clock in the morning. After that, they had the side effect, their sweat glands started to increase their production and they actually smelled like Sapiens.

"Now you will return to your own selves."

It took an hour for that to happen after which they were allowed to rest five minutes before the training began anew. This time, their recovery period was reduced to half and hour. And as each session grew, the recovery period was now fifteen minutes. When the sun rose in the sky, they had perfected it so that even though they could act like Sapiens for almost a day, in one second, they'd be back to their Dominant selves.

"Does this mean our ability to see and smell Sapiens decreases?" asked Richard.

"No it does not. You still have the skills of our Species," said Lewis, "and can still have our physical and mental superiority, only you can fool the Sapiens and our kind as well, even the Progenies." He turned to Tom. "Their ability and speed in which they learn is what is to be expected. Perhaps the blending of our two species is beneficial."

"The children will need rest."

"You called them here by feigning that your mate is ill and may loose the offspring. The Council knows everything. I have sent for a couple of Medicals to further that illusion. However, your mate will be all right in a couple of days."

"Good I will notify the school to have their lessons sent here."


	9. Conquest

CHAPTER NINE

Tom decided that with his wife's 'illness', the time the children should be away from school would have to be a week and that week was almost up. He also expected the phone calls from the teachers inquiring as to his wife's health and among the callers was Kevin himself.

"Hello Señor Gutierrez, this is Mr. O'Brian from The West Coast Academic Achievement Academy, I'm sorry to hear about your wife. If there's anything I can do?" Kevin cradled the phone in his hand, his feet on his desk, taking the recess break to let loose. He had already removed his tie, and rumpled his hair. Even though it went against his grain to appear slovenly, he wished to make an appearance of someone whom the students need not fear.

"She is feeling much better, sí," said Tom.

"And when will your children be back at school?"

"On Monday."

"Thank you and give my regards to Señora Gutierrez." With that, he hung up and prepared to leave for his apartment.

Kevin or rather Lawrence O'Brian lived in a modest apartment in a three storey apartment house that was yellow with age. He had furnished it according to a teacher who did not make that great amount of salary. Since most of the parents of the students paid tuition, they wanted to see how suitable the teacher was so during the first year; none of the teachers got more than the basic teacher's salary. Next year, Kevin hoped to get a raise as well as merit pay and then he would have to change his appearance, make him look more confident. He had already started his plan of action.

He got in his car, making sure that he dropped the key so one of the older students would pick it up and hand it to him. At least, that is what he learned from watching Sapien movies. However that movie was made in the 1960s, so the pupils just watched as he picked it up and saw him wipe the dust from his jacket.

He drove down the street to the commercial district and stopped at the Western Californian Insurance Agency to pay his rent, and then made sure to get some milk, eggs, ketchup, hamburger paddies, buns, and some slices of processed cheese. It was Friday and the apartment block was having a barbeque. Everyone was to bring something.

When he got there, he found several other packages of buns, a jar of mixed pickles, potato salad, macaroni salad, and some sliced ham. The woman who lived across the street brought some taco salad, and her daughter who thought that Lawrence was the handsomest man she ever saw decided to wear her best sun dress instead of the halter top and cut off jeans she usually wore. Her little daughter was running around unsupervised as usual,

Kevin thought it amusing that the humans who considered his own species as just taking who they desired for mates would emulate the behavior which they considered the Dominants practiced. The latest male that acted as surrogate father for the little girl was busy drinking beer and boasting of his latest prowess.

The teacher picked up the little girl and took her to her mother. "She's getting too close to the barbeque," he said.

She answered rather half heartedly. "Why thanks."

Kevin saw the resentment in her eyes and the worried look of the grandmother who was one of those who was probably afraid to punish her offspring. He pushed one of the men aside and put the hamburgers on the coals. "How wants cheese on theirs? Sauce?"

"Both."

"Sauce on mine."

"None on mine."

The requests came almost simultaneously. Meanwhile the women put the salads on the tables, removed the covers from the Pyrex and Tupperware containers, and put large spoons in the fruity, marshmallow, and jelly salads. Jennifer's mother put a large pickle jar containing plastic knives, forks, and spoons at each end, and a young middle aged man placed a set of paper plates besides them.

"Buffet style everyone," he said and turned to Kevin. "So how's teaching coming along?"

Turning around to see another of the apartment dwellers, a man of around forty who worked in the meat packing plant as a butcher, Kevin answered, "Fine. And how's the slaughtering business?"

"Well I guess you vegans don't approve of it, but it pays the bills."

"Actually I'm a carnivore myself, Sam. The vegan part is just a front to get dates."

Sam laughed. "You could do better than Jennifer. Look I've got a sister, lives in Santa Monica. Wonderful cook, makes her own clothes, and has a wonderful personality."

A_nd I suppose she can hunt too_, thought Kevin. It would not look good for him to have a human wife or rather Sapien, although he hated that term. _We are more than humans, we are superior._

He took a can of Pepsi from the container, and its sweetness coated his throat. His sense like those of the New Species, were sharper than homo sapiens. The odor of freshly minced beef for them still retained the sense of its wild ancestors. He drank in the human sweat, the sense of fear. It didn't matter if the fear was a lost job or an unwelcome insult. It was fear still the same and fear made the prey more vulnerable.

It was too bad that they were descended from these, that they were cousins in a sense, for if there were no relationship, the death and disposal of the homo sapiens would be as easy as picking up a fork. But even when a Dominant attacked his prey using his teeth and hands, there was a certain aversion. It was the curse that they were too intelligent to revert to the nature of a beast.

He took another look at Jennifer. Interested in the male body and her own looks, the human female cared not if her present boyfriend dealt drugs, was a rapper, accosted old ladies, or was on the FBI's most wanted list. She would be the perfect playmate for him until he got back to his real mate. Why he could stash several machine guns in his room, scatter the neighborhood with bodies, and she'd just quietly make an appointment to have her hair done.

Putting on his most charming smile, Kevin picked up a can of beer and walked over to her.

"You're name's Jennifer, right?"

"What's it to ya?"

"Lawrence O" Brian. Beer?" He handed her the can.

"Why thanks Larry." She attempted to blush.

Kevin took this turn to pick up the little girl, resisting the urge to wring her neck. "And such a charming little child. Takes after her mother."

"Ya think so?" Jennifer's latest beau was now forgotten. She saw her latest conquest, a teacher with a potential large salary. If she had looked even closer into his eyes, she would have seen the underlying viciousness and contempt.


	10. Library

CHAPTER TEN

On Monday the children returned to _The_ _West Coast Academic Achievement Academy_ which they learned had an abbreviated version, WCAAA or as said in whispers when the teachers were not around, Wacanonymous. So far, their detection by Kevin did not happen. However, they had no idea when they could notify one of the Council of his being there.

They also didn't know who to rely on, for although the Council was quite adamant in condemning Kevin for his activities, some who worked for the Council were not as agreeable.

"Father says that we have to wait," said John as they reviewed their lessons for the next class.

"We could be hunting," said Richard.

"Yes that is acceptable and a righteous purpose, but we have to learn how the Sapien mind works by observing their learning academies, one that we could never do by entering the School. Even my father, The Supreme Chosen, was once almost destroyed by one of the Sapien females because he failed to recognize the warning signals."

They had to agree on that. "But we are more intelligent than they. However can we show the appropriate facial expressions and not be mistaken for one of their serial killers?" asked Elena.

Richard put down his book. "A pleasant smile and the appropriate expressions of grief when one of their animals, a small one, is destroyed." As part of his learning experience, he had watched Lassie and other animal related movies. It had saved him much suspicion when a neighbor's cat got run over by a car. The expression of outrage and his shouting at the driver, calling him a murderer had been a good act. It had made his father proud.

Of course, none of the Dominants would resort to the Sapien serial killer methods of torturing small beasts, which was probably why Attwood and the Sapiens had known that something was amiss. Perhaps if they had dismembered a few dogs or cats, or perhaps drowned a few infants in boiling vats of oil, they would have been undetected until now.

That however was something in the past and besides, had they done such things, the Sapiens would have risen against them before they had a chance of survival.

And in the Dominant culture, survival was more important, more important than clothing or food or shelter. .

Kevin, along with the other teachers, came forward and asked them how they were. Mary showed the correct amount of sadness. "Mother almost lost the baby. The doctor says she has to have complete bed rest."

John, seeing Kevin's look of contempt, spoke up. "He says its just for this pregnancy. Mother had appendicitis. Father plans to sue the hospital."

"So they cut too close," said Kevin.

Mary shook her head. "No she went into the hospital after a month ago. She didn't know she was pregnant and they said she was carrying twins, but one of them was close to where the appendix was. It's to heal the scar." She glared at her brother. "Dad's not going to sue the hospital you idiot!"

"He should."

"He plans to be a lawyer," said Mary, "he wants to sue everybody"

Kevin just nodded and left with the other teachers.

"That was close," said John,

Richard nodded. "Our Masking technique is working."

"Yes, but we don't know the approximate circumference in which Kevin's radar works. He is older than us."

"But we are ready for procreation and once that happens, our power increases."

"So that from now on, we will be equal to Kevin and he cannot stand against us."

They went to their lockers and examined the locks. So far, no one had tried to open them, although Elena discovered a Sapien finger odor, belonging to another female. It was a brush off, when one palmed the combination as one went along the hallway. She knew this was true, for the same finger and hand odor continued for six or seven lockers to the girl's washroom.

"We have to go to the library and examine the reading literature of the school," Mary said.

"Excellent," said John. "According to the schedule, we have a break until eleven, due to the removal of certain plant material from the botany class."

"So that's why Kevin's walking around."

"Tracking more likely."

The library was more like one in a University . Several computers of various operating systems stood along the walls, each connected to the internet and each having their own IP addresses. The shelves in the center contained books, some more appropriate for adults than children. As well there the library was divided as to style, content, and language and even though the Dewey system was used, the amount of material for each subject was increased so that each section was filled with books on a specific subject or agenda. They also had CDs, DVDs as well as VHS and regular tapes. Since WCAAA had budgeted an amount for copying fees, the students were free to copy any material after they paid the fee for the blanks. The school had once included the fee in the tuition, but since not all pupils were comfortable with copying and since the teachers often sprung a quiz on them regarding the copied material, the user fee went into effect.

They say several other students prying through the books or playing one of the various CDs, there being at least four stereo players on the shelf next to the magazine section which had the sign: 'Property of WCAA. Magazines, and Recorded material have a two week borrowing limit. Anyone failing to return them, unless they have a legitimate excuse will have to pay the purchase price. Books have a four week borrowing limit. A fine of 5 cents a day will incur until the book is paid for or returned whichever is sooner. If any material is stolen or misplaced, the borrower must report this along with reason why he or she is not suspect and the local authorities will take steps to investigate. If however the borrower has stolen or lost the item, the borrower will have to pay double the purchase price of the item, no matter what. Students who have a legitimate family emergency such as sudden illness, death, whereby they miss the borrowing time limit will be excuse from any penalties.'

It sounded scary.

Since they were pretending to be Sapiens, the children passed by the text books on philosophy, adult books of a sexual nature, and went to the books designed for those of the teenage years. It was assumed that since the students in the WCAA were more intellectually mature than those of other students, their taste would run to those of the fourteen to eighteen years old variety, but without the content that a normal teenage would desire. No stories of lusty ladies with panting breasts, nor couples groping in the darkness for them.

"No _Lady Chatterly's Lover_?" asked Richard with a snicker.

"The Sapien reproductive system matures later than ours," said Elena, "however the minds of our male kind and the mind of their male kind are similar in the preoccupation of mating"

Richard nodded to John and they both enjoyed a silent joke.

"What about the audio and visual moving material?" asked Mary who was looking through the video shelf.

"I would suggest _The Dirty Dozen_. It is a fictionalized account of what may have transpired in the Second Sapien War of the Worlds," said John.

"I am acquainted with that, but I want something more romantic," said Mary, her eyes on Richard.

"Romantic. A Sapien ideal."

"Well better than having us kill each other before procreation takes place. I want the feeling of affection that father has for mother."

This brought another snicker from the boys, but they soon went back to the serious business and finally had rented out as well as _The Dirty Dozen, Legally Blonde_, and _Connagher._ They also took out two CDS of two famous rock groups from the 1990s, to see the antiquated music their parents, or least those who had Sapien parents, enjoyed.

"No books?" asked the librarian.

"Read them all," said Mary.

"In both English and Spanish," added John.

"Okay. Two weeks tops and no copying or the RIAA will have your heads."

They should have borrowed some books, but as it was, John and Mary's excuse was appropriate.

"Oh we need more books for the library," added the librarian, "if your parents are able to donate any books, it will be a charitable donation."

"Dad'll be glad. He's got a whole slew of Spanish books."

"Why thank you, Richard."

"A whole slew?" asked Elena when they left and were heading for the next classroom.

"Yes. I used the customary Sapien vernacular."

"It is not. The term is different now."

"But it doesn't fit the profile. Remember I was tutored at home by my father who was damaged mentally during the last Sapien war."

"I apologize," she said, and winked at John.

John, however, was not taking any notice. Like Sapiens, Dominant girls were way ahead of Dominant boys in that sort of thing. He was thinking of how to notify the Counsel without the usual go betweens and had so far, had not found a successful way. .


	11. Construction

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Back in their headquarters in Sloan's former apartment block, however, part of the Council headed by Roderick or Rodrigo, depending on whether he wanted to cultivate the friendship of the Anglo Sapiens or the Spanish Sapiens, were discussing the present events.

It was a serious meeting, interspersed with frequent stops for meals and wine and although the alcohol flowed, not one of them approached intoxication. The Dominant fast metabolism took care of that.

They had put a dark red carpet on the floor — to hide any bloodstains — and were intelligent enough so that even CSI's methods of detection could not find any. However, only in one or two cases, was anyone brought here, after the incident with the children those years ago. The walls were plastered with pictures, mostly scenery of Oaxaca, their former home, and the idyllic art hid the violence wherein they departed.

Around the edges to the door was a large desk built in on which sat various machines, their equivalent of the computer, printer, license plate maker, copier, etc. There was even a DVD and CD play along with a large scene, letterbox style, but not the one seen in homes. It played theatrical releases. However, even though everything looked mundane for a billionaire, it was far above any that even Gates could acquire.

There was also a large tube in which the Dominants stashed those weapons that were not small enough to carry on their person, AKA 47s, shot guns, machine guns, pellet guns which they armed with poison pellets, and so on. Every Dominant in that room was armed.

Roderick and his gang sat at the tables, which were arranged in a circular fashion, leaving only a small entrance a body's width between. There were five of them, Martin, Otto, Saul, Pamela, and Arthur, from the oldest to the youngest —although Pamela and Arthur had a week between their name days and were considered almost the same in equality.

There were also Sapiens there to, although they were not considered important enough to be noticed, being those unfortunate to survive the massacre of their friends. These, however, did not consider their lack of status of any bother since two of them were Favorites, one to Pamela, the other to Arthur and the third called Pablo was the personal property of Roderick. This put him in a protected position like the others. This latter individual was taking notes of the proceedings, using a palm pilot which the Dominants considered so common, that even slaves could borrow and use them with no fear of punishment.

"I have heard of a Sapien school similar to ours and that the offspring of the Supreme Chosen attend there," said Pamela.

Roderick nodded, looking over at the notes which the youth showed him. "I am well aware of that. Do you not know that the Council has its eyes on all our kind, even those of the first?" He used the vernacular term for the highest nobility.

"Perhaps you should asked the authorities for help," added Rick who carried in a tray with some glasses for the females among them...

Pamela glared at him.

The Executioner ignored this unspoken correction and addressed the Sapien. "Right, Rick. We're out of appetizers and that 1980 Foreign Alcoholic Colored Beverage."

"The Rose'." He left the room.

When he was gone, the conversation became more heated. Roderick scolded Pamela for not keeping a tight reign on her Favorite who acted like he was the owner instead of her.

"I have made little allowances. The offspring must be obedient even when I am absent and if I punish him, they might rise against us."

"Pamela is correct. Already Carlin is considering his place in the Military Elite," said Saul.

"But that is because your daughter has been united with Carlin and already you have two sets of new grandchildren," snapped Martin.

Roderick leaned back. "Kevin has been skilled in the art of subterfuge, and even the skills that I gave to John and Mary, are insufficient, due to their inexperience and youth. The time for the mating is fast approaching. We must make sure that John and Elena survive for their Union, as that of Richard and Mary. We must ensure that the, what the Sapiens use as terminology, the Royal House remain unbroken."

"You are correct. However we cannot rely on those whom the humans, I mean, the Sapiens, require for assistance in matters of legalities."

"Their police, highway patrol, or what they call them, not their advocates. Get Rick back in here," he ordered his servant who rushed out, but not before pocketing the Palm Pilot.

"Yes, sir."

Roderick's personal slave soon arrived with Rick who brought two bottles of Rosé instead of one. He gave a slight nod to all the gang and sat on one of the spare chairs. Calling Rick over, he whispered to him and then spoke aloud.

"You will do as I command."

"I can get some for you, sir. Now about the other thing." He looked at the note that Roderick had slipped him. "The money."

Roderick waved his hand. "That will be arranged."

"What if something goes wrong?"

"It will not. You are Pamela's Favorite and as such are protected. Remember the offspring of the Supreme Chosen take precedence even over me."

Rick breathed easier and waited until Arthur's Favorite brought in some bacon, small pieces of toast, bits of cheese, and other fried pieces of meat along with a rather hot sauce, offering them to the gang.

She also had a tray full of candies of every type, the Dominants having a large sweet tooth and a high metabolism. They as of yet had not invented a Species type, although a cross between Caja and Halva was becoming evident.

After making sure every member of the gang got something, she sat down besides Arthur and discussed the trouble she was having with their offspring. It appeared that Dominant children, that is, Progenies, were apt to get into mischief. She spoke rapidly, moving her hands about, talking about how Juliana didn't want to have her ears pierced, how Paulo had tried to wash Evan's hair with bleach. It went on and on. She wanted to whip their behinds, but she was only human.

"Pamela and Rick never had any trouble with theirs," she concluded to which the other Dominants made gagging sounds behind her back. They knew all about Pamela's offspring.

"Have you finally made the children behave?" asked Arthur.

"I grounded them." She showed no fear.

"Grounding?"

"Not letting them go to the wrestling game would make them think. They were very quiet then, quieter when I told them that you would speak to the Council about them."

"That'll instruct them," he said, holding her head in the Dominant show of affection. .

At that moment, Rick came over with the look of a recruiter on his face. Why everyone in that room knew what he was thinking. Rick always looked for an opportunity and here was one in the flesh, Arthur's concubine who substituted for driver when the male drivers not available.

"Francesca, how'd you like to go for a trip?" he asked in as pleasant a tone as possible.

"She's too busy," said Arthur. "Go and get the crew elsewhere."

Rick gave him a look which meant, "I thought I'd give it a shot."

Roderick raised his hand. The meeting was over. In less than ten minutes, everyone had disappeared and Rick was on his way to do what he was told.


	12. Noises

CHAPTER TWELVE

The week went by without incident. However, because some of the students had a distance to go to and from _The_ _West Coast Academic Achievement Academy, _the dormitories, that so far had been unfinished, were now complete.

The construction of the dormitory had gone on all through the summer and scheduled to be finished in March. Now the construction crew worked overtime which meant the tuition for the students went up.

They now went to the tried and true method of raising money, selling tickets to raffles, concerts, boxes of candies, and cookies door to door. Still it wasn't enough and the School Newspaper went to every household asking for donations not only from the parents, but their employers, etc.

Now selling tickets and candies were no trouble for the Sapiens, but in the Dominant Society, only lowers and slaves went door to door. It was common for a Dominant man to send his slave to sell his produce, just as in ancient Rome, it was common for the slaves and freedmen to do the business work which he supervised.

In spite of that, the Dominants didn't think ill of those Sapiens who knocked on doors. Had they not needed survival, they might have done it was well. As it was, the New Species figured that defense and attack were the most important, followed by science and academia — although especially for those in the Eastern United States — religion was being more predominant.

Still the Dominants excelled at taking extra copies of the _High Academia_, the School newspaper, and mailing them off to various businessmen and corporations around California, that is, after circling the specific article about the dormitory and one about poor intelligent and gifted students. The teacher in charge of the publishing had trouble with this. He wanted an African American student on the photograph, but since most of the poorer students were Mexican Americans, albeit illegally in the United States; the assistant principal, Quinton Alvarez Perez, overruled him.

The whole campaign to raise money for the dormitory snowballed. Cash flowed in, not only from rich businessmen in California, but even from the neighboring states and Mexico itself. The Federal Government heard of this and agreed to pardon the parents for illegally entering the United States. It took steps to start these families on the road to American citizenship. All the parents had to do was to show proof of employment and even if they could not, it would be a shame to deport those promising kids back to Mexico. Therefore, an advertisement campaign went out for sponsors, and no one whose children went to WCAAA feared returning to a small backwater town with low pay and little employment.

Since John, Mary, Richard, and Elena lived some distance from the school, the principal decided that they should stay at the dormitories and sent a note to their parents. Of course, he got their approval after a long talk and besides the Major and his wife transferred to another base.

Tom and Sloan didn't want to alert Kevin, who would know them on sight, by showing up at the school.

On Tuesday, two weeks after the construction started, that is, in the first week of October, the four were asleep in their new rooms, John and Richard in one, while Mary and Elena in another, when suddenly John woke up. Something was not right. He could hear a steady whirring sound and a few seconds later, something like a dentist's drill. He waited a while later and then went back to sleep

An hour later, he woke again. The noise was getting closer, and this time it was more like an engine and there was this scraping noise such as one made when one was trying to make a fire using flint.

He went over to Richard, and shook him. "Did you hear that?"

"Heard what?" Richard rubbed his eyes, sat up, and looked at his friend.

John was fully dressed. No Dominant, unless one was safe at home, ever slept in pajamas or au natural. It was too risky. It might have made them look too messy but the Garment Soil Dispenser took care of any cleaning problems. It looked and was the size of a micro cassette recorder and its spray penetrated down to the skin and withdrew any dirt, soil, or urine into its container. Then all one could do was to empty it over the toilet. One opened the side and inserted the cleaning solution, which the Dominants had disguised as batteries every two days. The nearest one could think was it was a portable version of those sonic sprays so beloved in Science Fiction stories. It had various settings represented by small fingerprinted dots and all Dominants as well as any Sapien who worked for or as owned by one, had to know these by heart.

Oh, it also doubled as a micro cassette recorder. All one had to do was to take out the cleansing solution battery, insert real batteries, fiddle with a control underneath, and presto you could either record your notes or prepare a speech.

"A noise." John handed Richard his GSD and waited, his eyes clothed while Richard performed the cleansing routine.

"Yes I heard it. Doubtless the Sapiens are working overtime for financial benefit, being Thanksgiving is next month."

"That is incorrect, Richard, the construction company wishes to make a profit as does the school. The costs incurred by running electricity, not to mention the customary coffee breaks, cooling and heating at evening will be too much. It is cheaper to do it in daytime."

The sound of a drill came closer, followed by what sounded like hammering. "Now I heard it. It seems somewhere below."

"Perhaps they are making a tunnel. We are not the only ones of our kind here. The Sapiens have increased their attack on us. Not able to destroy the elders, they have set about to destroy us, their offspring." He looked towards the door to their room and the small window that

"We must utilize our defenses then, John. I will estimate where the sound is located." He took out a small tub and ran it around the room. "It is what I stated. The sound is below the basement level."

"Shall we warn the females?"

"No doubt they heard the sound as well. Perhaps an underground oil pipeline, but we must not tell anyone else — unless they heard it as well."

The boys listened, hearing the drill and then it gradually got fainter as the whole ground shook.

For a moment, they didn't say anything, but then their minds started working. Their senses more sensitive that that of homo sapiens had not picked up any sign of earth tremors. They knew, however, that the Sapiens, were not as intrusive as they and that was proved when one of the teachers rushed in.

John and Richard put on the appropriate alarm expression on their face and turned on their Masking.

"It just woke me up," said John.

"Yes, me to. Are they doing tests around here? My dad said there was some new type of military plane."

"We were just about to go and warn everyone in case we have to evacuate." John showed his overnight bag hastily put together.

"Oh you can put that away, John and you too, Richard. This is California. Earthquakes happen all the time," said the teacher. He was blonde, blue eyed, the typical Californian, the kind seen on the front cover of Surfer Magazines.

"Thank you," said John, "I was afraid for a moment." He wiped his brow, knowing that as soon as the teacher left, he would return to normal.

"So it was nothing," said Richard, "an earthquake."

All the same, the boys slept uneasily during the night. That was no earthquake. Someone or something was moving underneath.


	13. Engagements

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

On Friday, John, Mary, Richard, and Elena got a call from the Council via a message left on each of their laptops. Now it wasn't the same message — for if it were, Kevin would be suspect. It was placed also at various times so that the school monitor who checked to see if any of the students weren't going on sites like "Hot " or "We Hate ," would assume it was the kids sneaking a personal chit chat with some online friends.

The WCAAA had designated certain chat rooms as child and teenage friendly. Although the kids were of high intelligence, there were still predators and they were still vulnerable. Of course, the school didn't know about the New Species or they would be doubly fearful.

The children all knew what the message was. It was time for the preparation of the Official Unions. The Council had decided that John and Elena's Official Union or marriage and Richard and Mary's would take place on Saturday.

"How could they do this?" demanded Mary, "we're almost close and now the Council decides on our Unions?"

"So you got the same message too," said John.

She lean over and whispered. They were in Botany class and Kevin was coming up the aisle to check their work. "I deciphered the code. Richard informed me he received a different style of words, but his was the same. We're to be Officially United at _Saint Paul the Apostle's. _

"As am I. That'll mean the Council, our parents expect us to mate. I'll have the offspring inside of me and Kevin will notice"

They waited until Kevin checked their work.

"Excellent students, but remember to check the spelling of your Latin definitions." He took out his red pencil and made the necessary corrections. "There is a test coming up next month. I hope to see much more improvement."

"Yes sir," said John showing the correct amount of reverence while seething inside. "Notice how?"

"Gym class. Remember? I'll be bulging out."

"You have to not do it."

"Refuse gym?" She thought for a second. "That is acceptable. Our species is at a greater physical level than their finest athletes, besides we do extensive hunting and tracking of theirs."

"Which," said Richard, "we are no longer encouraged to do unless it is after their criminals, the ones who committed violent crimes against them and then only in the context of a Bounty Hunter, like what the _Angela Investigations_ does back in Deleware."

Elena snorted. "It is only a front for _The New Centre_."

"It is not. It developed because one of our own was successful when he escaped — after being illegally confined for years."

"Illegally confined?"

"A homo sapien term. Most of those in bondage are there because they are supposedly illegally confined. In his case, he was, but he is still a slave although a high one. Anyway since I am from the Executioner's family, perhaps when we are mated, I can write to the heads of that particular company and start a branch office here."

Elena practically doubled in laughter, that is, her snicker was louder and usual. "You? The female head is a Sapien. She'd think you an upstart boy, besides we have to bide our time."

"About the gym," said Mary, noting they were getting off the subject, "we can discuss _Angela Investigations_ later. The Sapiens would notice if they see us increasing in physical dexterity without the physical education classes. We could delay conception, wait until we are eighteen. Then we wouldn't have this problem of Kevin noticing."

"'Impossible It is expected that once the couple is united or joined in the case of one or both not free, that the procreation of our kind continue. An older Dominant is expected to help the newly United or Joined one in the care of her person so that the offspring are delivered in optimum help.' You read it, didn't you?"

"We all did. It was expected." Mary put her hands in her lap, and kicked the air with her feet. "I can feign pigging out, the Sapien colloquialism for eating more than normal amount for one's size and age. We need some help."

"Padding from the acting class," said Elena, "will give you the correct bulge to deter from the coming pregnancy which will probably happen on the first night together – according to the female older Sapien who went to a drinking establishment."

"Oh that teacher who they kicked out. Well, you could ask her if the one who seduced her would do the favor with one of you," suggested Richard.

They all vetoed that idea.

"Since I wish to learn of civil government, I will map out the appropriate stores that carry food of no nutritional value on the pretense of estimating the commercial value of the town.. I will then call my father who will wire me the appropriate cash amount. We will then appear to replenish our system with such and —hide it. We can use that for bribes on the smaller Sapien offspring."

"I will keep an eye in case Kevin gets suspicious," said Mary.

"I'll be in the computer room checking for messages from the Council," said John.

"We have not much time, an hour. This is a free subject hour," said Richard.

"It is?"

"Yes because the History Class is off to the auditorium to see this movie, the school gave us an hour free." When the others looked rather annoyed, he added, "It is for those more sexually mature than us, a lack of articles of clothing by males and females. A man worshipping a horse."

"Oh _I Claudius_!" the others said in unison.

"The uncensored version."

They made a mental calculation as to how many years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds they would have to wait before seeing it. That part about Caligula killing his sister seemed very interesting.

The four children spent that hour doing their respective tasks and when she had completed her task, and stuffed the padding into a shopping bag, Elena passed John coming out of the computer room. He was smiling.

"Have you answered the Council's message?" asked Elena.

"I have," said John, "I told them we would comply."

She glared at him.

"It is expected. To not do so would enable discipline."

They all knew what the Council's discipline was, an official beating. Having that was more shameful than banishment.


	14. Frederick

To Imogen, Thanks for the review. To answer your question, the children are eight years old. They are keeping their Homo Dominance a secret. If they were to have cell phones even encoded ones and no other eight year olds had them, the authorities would be suspicious. Besides, would any parent let their eight year olds have cell phones?

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kevin knew something was up. He didn't know what but it had something to do with that weekend. The four best pupils in his Botany class were not concentrating on their studies, but talking to each other with that hand expressive thing they did.

However, he was too busy preparing the next assignment to question them, although he did glare disapprovingly their way and he had other problems.

It had come in the form of a visit by two official looking men, their manners shouting government who called the teachers into the conference room.

"What is all this about?" asked the principal.

"The government heard that you have students who are unusually intelligent," said the first one. He had dark brown hair, and eyes that appeared either hazel, brown, or blue or rather hazel with flex of blue and brown, the latter being the majority. On quick glance, one would say brown until they got a little closer. He was in his early twenties.

"Thank you, Frederick," said the older one and addressed the principal. "Now as Mr. Angela says there are some students here of unusual intelligence." His eyes looked towards two seats.

The principal took the hint and led them to them. "I gather this is not to see whether any criminals are lurking in my staff."

"No," said Frederick who obviously was to be the spokesperson. "Not at all. Anyway, when I was fourteen, I got interested in the intelligence field. Unfortunately, although there is a ROTC program, there is none for Intelligence Work. Most of our recruits have to come from the military or the law enforcement agency."

"However," added the older man, "we find that being in an enemy country requires an agility that the older agents do not have. We lost five good men in Communist China who will be missed."

"But I don't understand Mr. – about these students who are super intelligent who are they?"

At this, Kevin perked up. He always suspected that some of the students were Homo Dominants, and perhaps on a slim chance, The Chosen had sent his children here, but he dismissed this as nonsense. He would find them later, but first. His eyes glinted as he remembered the disgrace he felt when the Council rejected him. Some of the pupils here might be the children of those Council who rejected me. _I must find out who they are._ He listened, expecting the principal to name names. He would eliminate those that were human later. What he needed was the names of the Dominant pupils.

One of the teachers went to the coffee machine and asked the guests if they'd like some.

"Thank you," said the older one, "Cream."

"I'll have mine with cream and two sugars," said Frederick.

Kevin was noticing that he was looking at him, not directly but sideways. There was something familiar about him — not a direct confrontation but an article in a small Police Gazette about a series of murders, educated women, a number of years ago — a boy and a girl found by an FBI profiler who fostered them until they found their parents.

It was a grainy picture, the boy appeared to be fourteen, but right away Kevin knew it was a lie. He knew because he knew himself how he as a Homo Dominant appeared older, and how he talked to disarm others. This Frederick was the same as him. .

He was a Progeny.

"Well Mr. M—," said the principal, "we do have a list of names, but we'd rather not give it to you. In case, one of the Communists have had one of his children as our students. We do have a couple of kids whose parents work at the Cuban Consulate, but I doubt they are what you're looking for."

_They're looking for those like us and that Frederick is behind all this_, thought Kevin and as he glanced over at the other Progeny, he knew that was true.

Ever since the world found out about the Homo Dominants, they wondered what to do with them. At first it was elimination, and then cooperation, but how could you cooperate with a more intelligent 'species'? Would homo sapiens be relegated to delivering Pizzas or working at fast food joints? Now at last, something came up that would suit the Dominants, intelligence work

He idled close to the Principal to see the names of the pupils, the Dominant ones, but all he saw was a series of numbers and letters representing some sort of code. However, that code was not a simple one and they were too long for an area code and too short for an address.

"So you don't want to reveal their names," said Frederick.

"No." said the vice-principal. "I used to work for the Air force, intelligence department and I figured out the code myself." He appeared rather proud of himself.

"Then how do we find them?"

"Maybe I can help," said Kevin.

"Of course. Kevin's one of our best teachers."

It was falling into his lap. Kevin smile did not disguise the malicious glint in his eye and Frederick returned it with an identical look.

_You think you're smarter than me, Mr. Angela_, thought Kevin. _Wait and see. And when I find those traitors of our Species, their parents will weep when they see their bodies_.


	15. Weddings

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The Council decided that they would perform the ceremonies for John and Elena and Richard and Mary's Official Union on a Sunday rather than Saturday. Now, most Dominant Official Unions were rushed unlike the Official Joinings in one gave much thought as whether the captive female who the Dominant male had repeated raped after chaining her deserved to be his Official Concubine with all the privileges of having her children born free.

One had to drive quite a while out into the desert to approach the Dominant church which was in a large country estate complete with iron wrought gate, electronic gates, and fierce looking dogs. The latter were not necessary. A Dominant male, even one as young as eight, could easily break an intruder's neck and since they used the disposal ray afterwards, and those in government destroyed the files, those in the medical and psychiatric field had means of letting the family of the intruder forget, it was like that their relative never existed.

The children wore their regular clothes, their school uniforms packed away. They stopped at a Dominant Clothing Manufacturing Establishment where dozens or women and girls, most of the servile class, put together white wedding dresses that looked more like party dresses designed for young girls for an eight year old still looked like a child.

Next to it was a place that made shoes, another that grew flowers, and bouquets, and the Fine Ore Creative Establishment in which one turned gold and silver into rings and made them look like friendship rings by putting a certain coating over them. This they removed when the children approached the age of sixteen or older, or what was the minimum marriage age in that particular State.

However, it all looked like one large mansion complete with swimming hole, the kind that wealthy movie stars owned. It was a perfect setup.

The children and their parents or guardians went in the front door and the servant led them into an elevator. Using something in his pocket, he removed a panel disguised as a weight allowance plaque. Underneath the real controls took them down to the sub basement. On getting out, they walked to the Clothing Manufacturing Establishment where the workers fitted them with the appropriate wedding gear. From thence, the parents or guardians selected the appropriate rings.

They had set up the Official Union in a large hall, complete with a column. This was more than one floor below. That column took up at least four floors in height and was magnificent. On it were the designs of the stars and planets of the heavens. No one on the outside could see _Saint Paul the Apostle's_.

One might think that being underground was the same as that horrible building back in New England, but that was wrong. The Dominants had made it a place of beauty — well for them anyway. They had a garden down there, plants growing, producing oxygen, while the Homo Dominants and Sapiens produced the carbon dioxide. Large sheets of clear material produced an equivalent to sunlight and a timer was set to approximate the rising and setting of the sun. Except for the smooth shapes of the walls, one would think they were outside.

"Are those who are to be United present?" demanded a man in a white robe with a black border. Another man stood besides him.

"Yes they are present," said the male parents.

"Yes they are present," said the female presents.

The children arose and walked towards the ceremonial pole and the sacred official stopped them.

"You are aware of the seriousness of the Official Union?" he asked.

"Yes we do," they said in unison.

"Then those who are to be mated put your right hands forward."

The other man wrapped a leather band around John and Elena's, doing the same with Richard and Mary's.

"These symbolize your status now as Offspring, not ready to partake of the society of the New Species."

He then handed the boys, two rings, telling them to put it in their pockets until the signal.

The Sacred Official then led them around the Column, several times, When he finished the children stood before him while he said, "Each circle represents one hundred miles, The number of times you have completed it is the number of miles from Oaxaca where our ancestors landed. Now I give you the blessing of the Divine, Creator of the Universe, and ruler before which even the Supreme Chosen must obey. Take the rings in put it on the left ring finger of your mate."

From behind, two women came up and threw a black cloak over the couples. "May the Divine protect you from your enemies," said the women.

Two men came forward and gave the couples four guns. "May your enemies tremble with fear"

A man and a woman gave the couples four vials. "May you use these to sicken those who would destroy you."

And so it continued, each section of Dominant Society giving the couples a symbol of their power.

But the ceremony wasn't over yet.

Now the parents came forward and the Sacred Official Union asked. "Are you certain that these are ready to take their place as full fledged Dominants, members of the New Species, and will show their superiority to those of the Sapiens?"

"We do."

"Now stand forward," With deliberate slowness, he cut off the leather bands. "I remove the evidence of childhood." Taking a bottle a lesser status Dominant handed him, he said, "I cleanse you from any remnants of youth," and sprinkled the liquid on John, Elena, Richard, and Mary. "As Dominants, members of the New Species, you must endure pain."

With a flick he turned on a tube he held in his hand. "Take your good hand, and stretch it out in front of you. John, first."

The pain was intense, and yet John refused to cry. He knew that his father had endured it in his first mating and he knew that if Elena were to die, this would be the only time he felt such agony. It went up his arms, into his brain, so that he felt like screaming, but he dared not and yet there was no warning, no flicking lit from the tube.

"Now Elena."

She too felt the pain, and she too kept quiet, her face impassive although you could see the hurt in her eyes.

Richard and Mary also past the test. The Sacred Official smiled with satisfaction and raised his hands.

Now you are truly male and female, no longer offspring. Now stand proud as true adult Dominants and may you rule in the Kingdom of man."

All the Free Dominants and even the non Free ones repeated this, the most dreaded words that a Homo Sapien wanted to hear — baring that they were going to burn in hell for all Eternity. It was what the Dominants wrote on walls after killing their victims. "May we rule in the Kingdom of man."

It was largely symbolic, this message, but the children, now no longer children, but mated juveniles felt an inward pride. They only hoped they could get back to school in time and fool Kevin.


	16. Ambitions

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Unaware of what was transpiring, Kevin decided to pay a visit to Jennifer that weekend. He carefully chose his wardrobe, making sure it was casual enough to make the homo sapien female be at ease and yet dignified enough to show that he was financially superior to her. She would expect him to treat her to a dinner plus the usual coupling.

At least, she would be better than his mate was and after that, he would drink the alcoholic beverage that she kept in her fridge. He would then feign partial drunkenness, she not knowing that his metabolism burned off the alcohol as soon as it entered his system.

A typical Dominant male could consume two or three large t-bone steaks, two baked potatoes with sour cream and onions, two large servings of vegetables, plus salad, dessert, and coffee with cream and sugar and they were still hungry after this. Shopping for food required deception, that is, saying their brother who had an appetite of a pig, was staying with them was one excuse. The others were family reunion, helping the poor, and they ran a catering service.

They needed the Mechanics to print out cards for the later, and in Los Angeles alone, at least five catering services were fronts for the Homo Dominants.

Kevin, however, could not afford the usual excuses. He checked the money in his wallet. It wasn't enough. He had to disguise himself as a homeless person and scrounge through garbage cans, a disgusting past time for a Species who were neat even when they were paupers.

He got in his car and searched for pawnshops. So far, he had an old watch his stepfather had given him, plus a ring his mother said belonged to her grandfather. It was a signet ring, and Kevin did not want to part with it. The watch, however, was disposable. The pawnbroker gave him five dollars for it.

"This is a perfectly good watch," said Kevin in as irate a voice as he could muster.

"And do you know how many of these we have in stock?" asked the pawnbroker. He was a swarthy man, fat and balding. He had very sharp eyes and knew that the watch was not in the best running order.

"Then how about this?" He took the signet ring from his pocket.

"I can give you ten dollars for that, no fifteen."

"Fifteen? I was expecting one hundred."

"If you went to the _Antique Road Show_, yes, but this aint it."

"I'll be back to retrieve them next week."

"Can't promise you anything."

Kevin counted the money, twenty dollars wasn't much, but it would enable his stomach not to growl.

He hadn't time to cook so he went to the hamburger place with the big arches and ordered a Big Mac Combo. By the time, he finished and was on the way to Jennifer's, he did not feel as if he could chomp down on her — not that Dominant society would allow him to or his inborn instinct. Even in a fight, when they had to use their teeth, and hands, Dominants did not have that satisfaction when drawing blood. They would rather stab him or her with a knife, hypodermic needle, or break his neck.

Jennifer was at the door of her house, a big smile on her face. "Why teach, where are we going?"

"Is that the way to greet your man?"

"Who said I was your girl?" she bandied back.

"Well it doesn't help to dream."

"I've got to get a babysitter for Brittany."

"Why don't we take her along?"

"You think so?" Her face showed disappointment. "I thought we were going to some place like the Four Seasons."

"On my salary? Say there's a little restaurant down the highway, _The Rooster's Barn_ That specializes in chicken dishes. We can have Chicken Divan and for Brittany, Chicken Sticks."

"Okay." She bundled into the front seat with him, her left arm around him but she didn't have much time to do what she wanted, and it was rather uncomfortable for Kevin drove over the speed limit, taking so many short cuts that she couldn't make out the landmarks.

"We're here."

The place had changed from when he was young. Then it was the _Trucker's Hideout_ and the bar now served Pink Ladies, Tom Collins, and other fancy drinks rather than the usual beer, rum, gin, and whisky.

It was also across the state line in Nevada.

"I didn't expect to go this far," Jennifer said.

"Well consider this a treat." He smiled, went out the driver's seat, and opened the passenger side for Jennifer and Brittany. This was perfect. Neither this female nor her brat could find their way back nor trace the route.

Not that he planned to kill them — at least not yet.

The female did enjoy the meal, and she lifted her foot under the table, trying to get him interested. Her daughter, used to neglect, chattered with another kid, a girl about her age, about Barney and her daddy who was going to take her to Disney Land.

Jennifer winked, loosening the string that woven in her pink blousy top so that it went off her shoulders. "So where do we go now, teach?"

Kevin hated her call him that. "You can call me Larry,"

"Friends call me Jenny," she said, moistening her lips.

"I heard about a Jenny, once." He took no notice of her flirtation, but just continued the conversation as if he were talking to a banker. Homo Dominants needed no signals from Homo Sapien or for that matter Homo Dominant females, that is none visible.

"It's a common name." She shrugged.

"You're far from common." He stopped, interrupted by the waitress who asked what they wanted for dessert. "I'll have the apple pie with ice cream, and Jennifer?"

"Um chocolate pudding and Brittany, do you want chocolate pudding like mommy?"

"Uh – The sundae with nuts and whipped cream?" she asked.

"Oh do you mean the Special Nut Supreme?"

"Yes!" the little girl said, pointing to the picture in the child's section of the dessert section.

Her mother froze when she looked at the cost of the item.

"Don't worry," said Kevin, patting her on the hand. "I've got enough."

All through the route home, Brittany kept glaring back at her daughter while Kevin kept his eyes on the road, his mind devising more intrigues. He was starting to revise his desire to kill them both and had come up with another idea. It would be better if he kept them alive. In fifteen or so many years, the child would be old enough to enter society, and a match made with someone with political ambitions would ensure that he, Kevin, would be in the nation's capital. Or perhaps — but high society frowned on teen marriages. It was all right for Homo Dominants, but for Homo Sapiens, rushing Brittany into a wedding when she was fourteen would not be wise. Kevin had already picked up the little girl's future husband. He had seen the news photo in the supper news. A certain young man, the son of a senator, was on the family yacht along with his beautiful wife and son, just a couple years older than Brittany and Kevin had already written to the wife, in the persona of an up and coming Democrat who was planning to switch Parties.

And that was not the only contact Kevin had made. If that failed, there was that Californian wine grower who was trying to oust the present Governor, the owner of that Ski Lodge, the chief physician of St. George's Hospital whose daughter was married to Senator Robert Hartfield, descended from Billy Hartfield who fought off a band of Apaches back in 1879. Yes Kevin made sure that no would accuse him of anything.

None of the last had any sons or nephews of the correct age for Brittany, but they would further help his political ambitions and who knows, there was one office to which he aspired, the greatest in the United States of America and when he got that — let the Homo Sapiens fear.

He drove into his parking stall. "Want to come up for a drink?" asked Jennifer as Kevin carried the sleeping Brittany up the stairs.

"Don't mind if I do." It would give him time to check over her place. After all, though she didn't know it, the two females were part of his plan.

He and Jennifer made love on the couch, while Brittany slept in her bed. Kevin was taking no chances on her waking up and walking in He had doused her milk with a sleeping pill.

Kevin left Jennifer early that morning and went back to his apartment where he made breakfast, and watched the football game, his mind fill of deceit. The female had already conceived. She would tell her boyfriend or 'husband' that the baby was not his. The Sapien would leave her, and Kevin would be all consolable waiting in the wings. Yes everything was going as he had surmised.


	17. Descending

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Being fully united couples was not that different for the four young people. There were certain rules they had to follow and since they went to the Academy, the Council had to be sure that Sapiens could not know this.

There was no break between childhood and adulthood in Dominant society. You went from your father's dwelling to that of your mate. For that reason, the young Dominant couple had an older male and female come into their house and teach them housekeeping, child rearing, that they had not learned by watching their parents take care of their younger siblings. Since there were two couples, sending four older Dominants was not wise, so the older couple would alternate between John and Richard's household.

The West Coast Academic Achievement Academy received two new teachers after two of their other teachers mysteriously did not return to school on the weekend. No one knew what had happened to them and besides no one would find the bodies that easily.

The female Dominant took over in the Home Economics class and no one minded that she took particular interest in Mary and Elena for the latter were not the only young Dominant females that had secretly gone through the Official Union with their mates. To avoid detection, Mrs. Bering — not her real Dominant name — had to adhere to the school curriculum so there were many lessons in making pancakes, sewing aprons, and none of how a Dominant female raises babies. She hoped that the young females would cooperate in giving her an opening. They did, although Mary putting a cup of salt into her cake was a bit much.

She used this time when correcting or admonishing for a cooking or sewing error, to instruct the particular young female Dominant. Mary learned how babies would grow in her womb, what food to avoid, and so on. Mrs. Bering told her not letting any male except your mate touch her inappropriately and the latter only in private. The girls learned what was acceptable and what was not in Dominant social mores for adults. Mrs. Bering also gave them a lecture on how babies were conceived and because the Dominants did not have the emotional range of Sapiens, showing a drawing of the actual act did not emit the usual giggles and snide remarks that it would otherwise do.

As well as this, she also told them on how to care for babies, what clothes to wear, how to find enough time to do the housework, what works the servants would do — unfortunately due to something that happened to certain Dominants in New England, slavery existed in the Dominant community — and other things.

Meanwhile Mr. Bering — also not his real Dominant name — was in charge of the Industrial Arts class. On recognizing a new Dominant teacher, the young Dominant males started to make so many errors, ensuring that they would have to see him after regular class to learn how to run a Dominant household and since none could get regular jobs, ensured that older Dominants took them on as apprentices. This latter ensured they would get a wage, as older Dominants were responsible for their well being

Mr. Bering also borrowed Mrs. Bering's drawing of the actual process and the boys learned how to make babies and how to not. He emphasized the responsibility of raising proper Dominant offspring, not weaklings like those of the majority of Sapiens.

Every night, John and Richard had to return to the room they shared, as did Elena and Mary. Fortunately, the rooms were across from each other and they soon picked up the time when the monitors came down the hall, when they changed shifts, etc.

It took quite a bit of sneaking around and little time to do more than cuddle next to each other and stroke each other's face in the Dominant show of affection. I will not say whether they actually make love or whether their love was fruitful. Most young Dominants usually live with an Older Dominant couple and the first babies are often mistaken for those of the latter. This is a wise precaution and prevents visits from Social Service Agencies and taking the babies away by caseworkers who assume the mother is an unwed pre teenager and in need of protection.

Mary and Elena checked their bodies in the mirror to see the signs of babies starting. Young Dominant females had superstitions the same as we did, theirs being that you can't get pregnant if you are sleeping near a North wall, so both girls moved their beds in that direction which got Miss Waverly, the counselor to explain, "Why are you doing that?"

"Because I can't sleep over there," said Mary pointing to the place where now they put the bookcase.

"And it's closer to the washroom."

Actually, the bathroom was the same distance it was before, but Miss Waverly just smiled, nodded, and left the room.

And neither of them dared move their beds in the center of the room. That ensured, in their opinion, a one hundred percent chance of conceiving.

A week after their return to school, as the monitors were checking the other end of the dormitory, John and Richard once more sneaked in to Mary and Elena's bedroom.

"What are we supposed to do?" Mary whispered to Richard later as they lay in each other's arms.

"I don't know. I think Sapiens say I love you and kiss a lot."

"Eww!" Mary would have nothing of that. She wanted to sleep. She put her face to the pillow, but soon turned around when she saw that Richard could not stroke her face.

They just lay there on the bed, not doing anything, not knowing how to do anything and besides no one wanted to get into their sleeping attire. Young Dominants also believed that in order to make babies, one had to be in sleeping attire. Not one of the four couples took any chances. .

"John," asked Richard, "are you sure this is safe?"

"Of course, the beds are at the North Wall and we haven't put on our nigh clothes."

Richard wiped his face and then stroked Mary's. .

After much attempting, they all finally went to sleep, and started dreaming about typical Dominant stuff, hunting their prey, jumping from one cliff to another, flying over thousands of terrified Sapiens, until they all heard a roar in the distance.

John was the first one awake. In his vision, it was a dragon with long sharp vampire teeth who opened its mouth just as he was about to leap on it and wrench its neck from its body. He nudged Elena who whispered, "You get the rifle and kill that darned machine."

"It's not in the dream. Listen."

Now she was wide-awake as was Richard and Mary. They listened for a while, and determined they were also dreaming the same thing, until the rumble started again. It sounded like the same thing they heard days before, and it definitely was not an earthquake.

"Someone's working down below," said Richard. He pulled on his slacks and went to check where it came from. "It's below where the bookcase is now." He turned on the light and checked the floor. "And there's a slight crack in the floor. Help me move the bookcases and then we can enlarge it."

"And have the teachers suspect?" asked Mary, slipping on her blouse and skirt.

"The Sapien teachers can be fooled." He went to his suitcase and took out a knife. "With a little pressure, the crack will enlarge."

"And the bookcase will fall into it."

"We need some planks to put over it when the task is completed," said John, taking a chisel from the chest near the door.

"What are you doing with that?" asked Elena.

"Get the hammer."

When she did so, she saw the sheets at the bottom of the chest with directions on simple ways of sculpturing marble along with a piece of marble two feet square as well as a drawing of an ashtray.

"You're a member of the Executioner class. Only workers do sculptures."

"Of course," he said, "but I want to learn how they do it just in case we have to pass as them."

They waited until they heard the next rumble and started to work on the crack. It was slow work and it took nights. During the days, they went to their class, and endured among other things, having Kevin as a teacher.

Mary and Elena now knew how to make a skirt that would disguise for growing babies inside. John and Richard now knew the hunting skills needed and more of how to make money. All of them learned the proper rites when Dominants are born.

A month later, the crack was now a hole large enough for them to find out who was making that rumble. Richard got the flashlight, shone it below.

Suddenly someone grabbed him by his arm from below and pulled him down.


	18. Underneath

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

It took less than a second for Richard to get used to the darkness and to see the man or rather men who were looking down at him. He recognized one as Rick, Pamela's favorite, and the rest as others who did heavy labor for the Dominants. There appeared to be a lot of construction going on. .

The one with the dark brown almost reddish hair and the eyes that shifted from hazel to brown depending on where the light shone or the background, was not familiar..

"So you must be Richard," he said with a smile.

"I am from the class of the Executioners, the descendant of Rodrigo the Executioner. I demand to know who you are."

"Frederick Angela, Central Intelligence Agency — the Homo Dominant Branch," he replied.

Richard recognized Frederick Angela for one like himself, a Progeny, but one more experienced. "So we are there already," he said, trying to be flippant, but the CIA agent's face didn't change. Rather, he waited until Richard got up and dusted himself off.

"You were fortunate that none of the enlargers were under you. You would've been crushed." Angela indicated the large blades that whirled at supersonic speed and Richard's face grew a little paler thinking of the blades grinding him to dust, the intense heat generated by the motor destroying what remain of the blood left in his body.

"I used the flashlight to check."

"However this place requires secrecy." Angela took something out of his vest pocket, waved it over Richard's face, and then nodded to the others. "He's as he says he was, you can continue with your construction, Rick."

"Yes sir."

Frederick steered Richard to a small room, partially finished, and destined to be an office of some sort. It had a space for the computer, printer, one for the coffee machine and a large mirror on the wall with a device to it. The CIA operative turned it on and Richard could see the outside, but when he touched it, it was like touching a soft springy plastic.

"What is this?" he asked.

"I can make it look like Paris, France if you like," said Frederick, touching a control panel near the light switch, "or like the Antarctica, or like New York City complete with street noises and approximate pollution."

Richard almost gagged. "No thank you."

"Well back to outside as it is. We're still under your school and my informants have told me that you already know how to Mask."

"I refuse to reveal that information."

"Excellent." He leaned back. "Then the ones on top will not get this location from you."

It was almost a statement. Homo Dominants, especially Progenies, knew when one was telling the truth, or if someone could extract information from them. In the latter case, rather than kill the poor unfortunate who could easily be broken by an older or wiser dominant, they made sure the torturer's information appeared foolish.

"So are you going to make me forge?"

"No Richard. I want you to remember, remember that you and your companions will learn of our history, our beginnings. Oh and for those who wish to enter the American Espionage field, as well as the Space program, a way to train after we dispose of that filth."

"Kevin?"

"Yes." He went over to the desk and took out a small box. "These contain various jewelry and watches with signaling devices."

"I am a free Dominant."

"Only you can operate this and it will not track you unless you are going into dangerous territory and you open the back and press the red dot inside. Now, take the watch, and press the small mark at three. That will tell us that you are in trouble. Here are the instructions for your friends."

"Why?"

"Kevin has contacted another group of rogue Dominants who escaped the Council when we left Mexico. They stole a virus that causes extreme madness and violence in Sapiens. The Council tried it before. However, they abandoned it when they discovered its drawback. It also turns us into crazed killers." He pointed to the frontal lobe of his brain. "It destroys the connecting cells until all restraint is loose and even friends are considered monsters. Rumor is these rogues built a base on a South Pacific Island. They are dead now. Probably killed each other. Their life indicator is no more."

Richard knew about life indicators. Once given to those Homo Dominants, known as First Ones, who were going into new territories and it showed the Council if it was wise to pull them out. They had it inserted just under the skin near one of the pulse points. A Medical and Mechanic had to cooperate in inserting and then removing the object once the Dominant decided that others of the New Species could move into that area.

He also knew about the rogues, certain Dominants sent to penetrate Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, B.C. Only when the Council had checked the pin points on their screen, it showed them moving out to sea towards Australia, finally stopping in a relatively isolated area of the South Pacific. It had happened before Richard was born and the Council was still looking for answers. Since then, they abandoned the life indicator. Now they equipped their first ones with a homing device inserted into a watch, or a ring. To be doubly sure, they sent in another Homo Dominant with orders to kill any of the first ones if they rebelled against their orders. To date, not one first one had disobeyed the Council or needed discipline.

_So, the rogues were first ones_, thought Richard who believed it ridiculous the story about a secret base in the South Pacific. If it were back in 1945, then he would believe it, but this was the twenty-first century. More than likely, they'd have a base in the Middle East, Iraq, or Iran, perhaps in China. Those were the places of most danger. "I heard a plane from Sydney went missing back in 2004. Maybe it crashed on that island."

"You must not believe such tales, Richard," said Frederick. "You must go back now."

"I want to know more."

"We haven't finished yet. When we do, you will be notified." He signaled to one of the workers who brought over a ladder. As Richard climbed up, he said, "Remember Richard, except for your mate and those in the room above, no one else should know of our presence."


	19. Trapped

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Nicholas was having problems. Not only did he have to move up to the front row in class, and his father forbade him to go to the Rock Concert for that escapade, but now he could not depend on his new friends. Apparently, they were boarding at the school and the school had a policy of not allowing over night visits.

And then, there was that Mr. Angela whom Nicholas suspected was a member of the Secret Service come to check up on him.

So considering that his family had come from the former Soviet Union under less than normal circumstances, it was natural for Nicholas to see CIA, KGB, and mysterious men in black under every rock. The trouble was that this Mr. Angela was in reality a CIA agent.

All his life, Nicholas's grandfather had told him of the nocturnal visits and people disappearing. Even though they now no longer lived in Russia, the fear was still real. So, Nicholas had to lock the windows of his room every night even though it was stifling hot.

When he started to get chills and fevers and his parents had to make excuses of why he was not at school, the doctor advised his parents to get an air conditioner. Only they stood around the installer, making the poor technician very nervous.

John and Elena were coming from the dormitory, and heading for the main school building along with the others. Nicholas knew who they were by the sound of their footsteps and waved at them. They waved back. He read their lips at a distance. "See you in class," they said. He was so engrossed in his reading that he did not concentrate on who was coming up behind him. . .

"Good morning, Nicholas."

"G-good morning, Mr. Angela," he said been shivered teeth, but then he realized he had not known him long. He would soon get to recognize him coming.

_Yes, that was it. Mr. Angela walks quickly and softly. He smells of Brute, and his shoes are cheap but he polishes them regularly. I can smell the odor of the shoe polish. _

"Look you don't have to be scared of me," Frederick smiled slightly and took something out of his briefcase.

"I didn't do anything."

"No, this is a brochure about Washington DC," said the agent, "The principal told me that your grandfather often takes you along every year and you get quite board. So I put down a list of sights that you might be interested in, besides the usual monuments. However, I'm afraid the White House is out of bounds, since 911."

"But that was years ago!"

"I was in my teens then and started to see terrorists under every rock. Now you might take interest in the Museum. They have a tour every —" He continued talking, emphasizing things that Nicholas was interested in. He must have done his homework "I have to let you go to your class, Nicholas and remember if you need any help, come see me."

Thanks," said Nicholas gaining a better appreciation of the man. He watched Angela walk off, and then turned his attention to Mr. O'Brian, alias Kevin.

The teacher was on his cell phone and unaware that Nicholas's sharp ears were picking up every bit of the conversation.

"Look I want this clear. If the others find out about this, we'll have the Council on our back."

_What's this Council he's talking about?_

"I'll take care of the brats. Now remember if the Chosen tries anything, we'll take care of his two. John and Mary Daniels will be no more."

_John and Mary? Wasn't it the name of his two friends. Is that their real name? I have to warn them. Wait! _Nicholas took out a chocolate bar, stuffed the chocolates in the mouth, and wrote on the inside of the wrapper. He went over to the waste paper basket, dumping it under the disapproving eye of one of the teachers and returned to lip reading Mr. O'Brian while pretending to be otherwise occupied.

Nicholas kept his head down while examining the brochure. Mr. Angela had carefully circled the museum, the Russian Consulate, and the other areas in what Nicholas would be interested. Included with the brochure were a bus schedule and the directions to the restaurants. Of course, Mr. Angela probably knew that Nicholas's family always spent the summer in Washington. Everyone else did.

It was part of their agreement with the United States Government to report any activity. Nicholas's parents were working for the CIA, although the boy did not suspect it. He thought his father imported Faberge eggs.

The school bell rang and all the students went to their respective rooms. Nicholas tried to keep his composure calm as he passed Mr. O'Brian. He hoped that he would not catch on that he had caught everything the teacher had said, that he was planning to get these kids in trouble.

He was just about to enter his class when an arm grabbed him.

"Hello Nicholas," said O'Brian, alias Kevin, "you and I are going to have a little discussion."

Nicholas looked up at the teacher's eyes and he saw something there that was not pleasant.


	20. Searching

CHAPTER TWENTY

An unusual storm started at ten o'clock when John, Elena, Richard, and Mary were at geometry, and on noticing Nicholas's seat empty, they assumed his parents showed up, possibly notified by Mr. Angela whom John and the others knew wanted to keep Nicholas to grow up healthy and work at deciphering code for the Pentagon.

"Or go to spy school," said Elena

The others snickered. They all knew that there was no secret CIA summer camp where teenage future spies learned espionage using James Bonds toys. Not even their species had that.

Equipment was for adults and all Dominants first learned hunting and stalking skills using their own senses while before the Council deemed them ready for the electronic gadgets used by Adult Dominants. A young Dominant knew how to kill his prey before his eighth birthday using his bare hands.

"He'd bump into things like a mountain lion, or a semi," said Mary. That was the general condition. They had seen Mr. Angela talk to Nicholas and the ominous look of the sky.

As soon as they finished their first class, and started their second, the rain came down The day students could not go home so they had to stay overnight in the dormitories. That meant Mary and Elena had to share with six other girls of various ages who scrabbled about the use of the mirror, hogged the bathroom, and complained, "the Mex girl (meaning Elena) used all my _Dippity Doo_.

For two days, while the rain poured and the younger Catholic and Protestant students imagined they saw an old man leading two camels, two giraffes, and various other animals walk by their window, they worked on their calculus, botany, and other subjects under the watchful eyes of their teachers. And still Nicholas had not shown up.

Then, the principal had the brilliant idea to phone his family to find out if he were sick and found out that the boy had not shown up. .

Nicholas was now a missing person.

They called in the local police, the FBI, the sheriff's department, and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. They put Nicholas's face and description on Amber Alert. They even asked around the neighborhood, canvassed the places where the boy frequented, but no Nicholas.

The teachers, including Mr. O'Brian, expressed sympathy or at least what they took for sympathy.

"The sheriff's department says we have to begin a search party," said the principal, his face stern with the usual resolution.

"All right," said the sheriff, "We're going to form six lines and go over the general area until we find him. Now all of you must stick together. The area's quite rocky, there are hidden gullies, and there was a flash flood recently"

"What about sex offenders?" asked one of the older students to which the sheriff replied that of the list of known deviants, six were still confined, one died, and the other one had been laid up in the hospital

"So how'd you know?" asked a father.

"Cause one of his victims knifed him in a delicate place. So if someone harmed this youngster, and planned to put it on a sex fiend, he made a terrible mistake."

"Maybe we should mention Edward our brother," whispered Mary to John.

"That he is in danger? He attends Saint Catherines and soon will go to the School."

"Not here."

"You know that the School is south of Los Angeles, near the border of Nevada State. Our population in this territory is not enough for a School here."

"But it is," said Richard without giving any other information.

Mary's instincts were in high gear. "Richard knows something," she said, but he just smiled.

The sheriff cleared his throats. "If any of you were in the boy scouts, cubs, guides, or have any camping or hiking experience, please step forward."

He looked at the group that included John, Mary, Richard, and Elena, determined that the younger ones needed supervision. After all, he didn't want several youngsters getting lost themselves. "We'll put you in groups of four with an adult. He or she'll be in charge."

_I hope it isn't Kevin_, thought John, and turned to see Mr. Angela stride over to the sheriff.

"I'll help," said the CIA agent.

"But that's not necessary," said the sheriff who's eyes were on Mr. O'Brian. Angela moved quickly, going over to the group and with his eyes, singling out the four. "I'll take along Nicholas's friends who no doubt know the usual haunts of their missing companion." He pushed the sheriff away. "Look I have kids of my own unlike Mr. O'Brian who probably stuck his nose in the book when the rest of us were dating."

So Mr. Angela had figured out Kevin was about to volunteer and beat him too it.

"He's a Progeny," said one of the other Dominant students, Leonard, by name.

"We know," replied Elena. "Len."

"Leonard. I am in the eighth ascendancy."

"What the Sapiens call the eighth grade."

"I was here when the school was created," he said as if that gave him importance.

"I am descended from the Executioner," said Richard.

"I am of the Chosen," said Mary without telling Leonard what Chosen it was. Chosen was the name for the member of the Dominant rulers, as well as the nobles and included Minor Chosen, like the Advocate who was possibly bowing before an audience in the Metropolitan Opera House after a performance of _Il Trovatore_. He was a Progeny and Progenies were much better than pretending to be Sapiens than other Dominants.

For a good five minutes the four and Leonard boasted their importance in the Dominant hierarchy, using extremely difficult words for simple explanations, making others around them believe they were like automations instead of living beings. No one wanted to give away anything, like loyalty in the Dominant scheme of things and so they continued with the arrogance.

The sheriff blew a whistle. "We start the search now and will continue this until sixteen hundred hours. We've set up rest stops along the road, and the local cafes have donated several sandwiches and bottles of juice or pop in case you all get thirsty."

And so they walked, picking up bottle caps, pieces of torn clothing, employing some search dogs, listening to the language to which Elena asked, "Are you sure they're not of the New Species?"

"The dogs?" asked Richard.

"No, the trainers."

"Keep your eyes on the ground," said Mr. Angela, "and your ears alert for suspicious conversation."

They glanced towards the direction of Mr. O'Brian (Kevin). If Nicholas was dead and Kevin had killed him, the Progeny would make sure that no one would find his body.

Mr. Angela's eyes moved downward "I notice none of you took the proper precautions in footgear."

"We are in the proper school attire," said Richard.

"No matter, I have taken certain precautions."

The four looked down at their caked legs and at least in the girls's cases, the bottom of their skirts covered with mud. Mr. Angela went to his car and took out four jeans and four pairs of boots he handed to them.

They continued the search after they changed, going along the dirt roads, moving aside brush, climbing up rocks, going down into the nearest gulley, and into small caves, all the places someone would hide a body. They even tried some abandoned mining shaft after a lecture from a guard. However, as the early night darkened the sky, and still not finding any evidence of Nicholas, they concluded whomever abducted him had spirited him out of the State or disposed of his body in some secret location.

"We'll start tomorrow," said the sheriff, "And in case, he's over the border, we'll make a call to Carson City and CHIP'll look for any suspicious characters on the highway."


	21. Preparation

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

As Tom looked out the window, a red GM truck drove up into his yard, driven by a man dressed in a red checked shirt, jeans, and work boots. In the back of the truck was a hard hat and the sign on the side of the truck said, 'Ben's Nursery."

There was a passenger besides the driver, a boy whose dark hair had a slight reddish tinge, and although the driver had red hairs and freckles, one could see by their face shapes, that the boy and he were not related.

"It's Eddie" screamed Sloan, and dropped the book she was holding. It fell to the floor.

"Your condition," warned Tom.

But Sloan didn't care. She ran out, and hugged the boy as he climbed out of the passenger side. "Edward, I missed you!"

"Mother," He was very calm, and his smile, almost too polite, but he had a twinkle in his eyes.

"The Sisters didn't tell us you were coming," she said as she let him in the door, followed by the Driver.

They, however, weren't prepared for Tom's reaction. "Do you realize the danger that you have put him in?" the Supreme Chosen asked the man.

"What do you mean?" asked Sloan.

"You specifically asked that he come here," said the driver.

"I did not, Alfred."

"But look, Chosen." The man in the red-checkered shirt handed Tom a letter. "From the Council itself."

"I see," said Tom after examining it, "but it is not from the Council. Of course, you wouldn't know. You're not in the same position. Besides, we were careful at his birth and told both John and Mary not to reveal his presence as soon as we enlisted him in St. Catherines. Wait here."

He went into another room while Sloan asked Edward how things were at school, and if he had any friends.

The boy said, he did, but he missed his older brother and sister. "I saw them at the Official Union," he said.

"You have to remember to be careful and not tell anyone about that," said his mother.

"I fail to understand that."

"I have to go back to my truck and get a change of clothes," said the driver.

"Okay," said Sloan, and watched him leave. She then turned to her middle child. "The Official Union is the same as my species, Marriage, only you do it earlier. Our species is not ready until they reach their late teens or early twenties, so we have to keep it silent."

"And they can't have small ones until they're in their twenties?"

"No Edward. They don't have Special Instructors," said Sloan, referring to the older Dominant male and female who instructed a newly mated couple in married life.

Edward nodded. "So why am I here? I thought I was to go through the Ceremony. Am I not one of the Chosen? How can I learn how to govern people? What if someone comes to me when I'm older and ask me to decide whether someone is guilty of a miscreant?"

"And you will, but first I have to decide if you're ready," said Tom. "I talked to the Council about the letter and informed them of its contents. As I suspected, it was a falsehood, which would have sent us to our death. Since we are after Kevin, I suspect he instigated it, by its contents, it was written months ago."

"Months ago?" asked Sloan.

"One has to show the necessity of the Ceremony by writing the official location and then mail it off or send it off, in as obtuse a manner as possible, a day or two before the Ceremony takes place."

"So how did you know?"

"When I was put through the Ceremony, my mother received a notice with extensive corrections. This one had none. Places change, the time of ascension changes. In my case, it was first 1995, and then 1992, and then finally 1998. Only the Supreme Chosen or in my case, the mother or father of the future Chosen, receive the notice. Not even the Council knows."

"So if the Council doesn't know? Who does?"

"The one whose in charge of constructing the Column. The Council gives him the writing instruments, tells him who is to be going through the Ceremony and to chose a place, the workers, and the time of ascension. The one given the task came to the Council, saying that he had to write another notice because someone had stolen the other. They instructed him to change the location I apologize for not telling you this information, but as I told you, only the Supreme Chosen knows. Everyone else of our kind think that we just found a place to have the Ceremony."

Alfred came in, now changed into ordinary street clothes, Dominant style, that is his shirt and Docker slacks seemed almost formal. It was not that there were custom made and tailored, it was that his erectness and noble bearing turned even slovenly t-shirts and jeans into something worn by Kings and Princes.

Ever since they made Tom, the Supreme Chosen, there was no need for a Ceremony because naturally his children would inherit his status. The only time they needed the Ceremony was when they needed Chosen for newly acquired territories — that is, when they were sufficient in number in a particular state, county, or city to have a Chosen. And going through the Ceremony often meant the child forgot his previous childhood. The Council did not want anyone asking the boy or girl about their background or family and later learning that a paramilitary group had wiped them out.

They blocked out their memories and started reintroducing them when they were around sixteen. By that time, the new Chosen was apt enough to defend himself or be on the offensive.

Now things were different. Since 2001, most of the United States, Canada, and Mexico had Chosen in almost every state and province, so the Council decided that periodically, one of the children of the Chosen, whether he be of the Supreme Chosen, or one of the other Chosen, would go through the Ceremony. It just happened that a few months ago, that Edward, the third son of the Supreme Chosen would go through the ceremony and they made preparations.

John and Mary assumed that Edward would go to St. Catherines like them until his intelligence grew too great for them and then at eight years old go to the Dominant School if it were close enough or an Academy that only took students of superior or later intelligence. Of course, most of these Academies had some members of staff who were secretly Homo Dominants and much of the classes echoed those of the Dominant School. Their method was wise to make the Sapiens believe these were just highly intelligent kids.

They learned political science, military history, the studies of English, and literature, calculus, psychology, computer science, and others, that were usually reserved for Universities. The Dominants were too smart to have classes where everyone recited, "We will rule in the Kingdom of Man." No classroom of students stood at a attention when a Council member entered and said things such as "We are the Future. We are Superior." Actually had they done such things, the Homo Sapiens would have wiped out the Dominants in an instant, but they had learned survival so that their classes looked on the outside like any normal University classroom. They knew as soon as they were five at the latest, that they were different, that they were superior. What they needed was how o make them survive

Tom explained that Alfred was a pre examiner, one who decided whether a child was ready for the ceremony since not all five year olds were the same. "Being a Chosen means having to make decisions of life and death. If Edward wavers in his convictions, it could mean a disaster."

"And what about Lewis?"

"At that time, few knew that Progenies were able to marry and have children of their own. We thought that our species were incompatible."

"Oh like horses and donkeys, mules."

"If you say that, that is so."

Alfred called Edward into a small room and told him to stand while he questioned him. These were about how much he knew about their origins, the history of their ancestors, and the specific sayings that most Dominants were supposed to know by heart and say instinctively. Edward answered all of them. He also had to endure pain, and so the Dominants had him pick up a poisonous snake and let it bite him. Edward closed his eyes, getting to the point of almost death until the questioner injected him with the antidote. There were other tests as well and in the end, he passed.

"He is ready," said Alfred, opening the door.

Tom and Sloan hugged their son. They would follow Alfred to the location where the Dominants had set up the Column, now restored after the incident in the late 1990s. No longer in Mexico, it was in an undisclosed location in California, and not even the Driver nor the Supreme Chosen would know until they arrived.

The truck with their son inside drove along the highway, and turned towards Los Angeles. The driver then stopped at a gas station, went inside, and called Tom on his cell phone.

"We turn north east."

"We will follow."

An hour later, after walking into a fast food joint, the driver spent a few minutes talking to the girl who was busy cleaning a table. "She says to go East along Route 66 and then stop at Carman's Dress Shop. Your mate is to go in and ask if the fittings were ready."

"Did you hear that Sloan?" asked Tom.

"Yes I did."

Carman's Dress Shop designed mainly for the Mexican Wedding Industry. There was a long white dress, custom made, that reminded Sloan of her wedding, and Carman, if that was her name, was a petite brunette who had a voice that reminded Sloan of honey mixed with cayenne pepper. It's sweetness was a façade.

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

_This can't be the contact_, thought Sloan who looked around for another girl, one more amiable. But she saw no one.

"I've come to ask about the fittings," she said, "I ordered them last Friday. Are they ready yet?" It was a white lie, and she hoped secretly that Carman would say that she made a mistake.

"The fittings?" Her face took on a knowing expression. "Wait here."

A few minutes later, she returned. "You are to turn west and the next stop sign, and continue until you get to the junk yard and then go along the road until you reach the movie theater. See the manager.

Sloan thanked her and went outside. All this time, she had been calculating the distances, the twists, and the turns.

"I think I know where the Column is. It's either near, in. or under The WCAAA."

They were going to have the Ceremony there.

"But how?" she asked her husband.

"Wait and see."

Tom let her in the passenger side, and started down the road, after giving the Driver the directions. They had just went crossed into a traffic lane when a beige Toyota drove by, and something flashed in the driver's window.

"Get down!" ordered Tom as a bullet wished by, missing he and Sloan by inches. "They know. We have to approach the Academy by another direction." He got the Driver on the cell phone. "We need evasive action."

"Right sir," came the answer and they were on their way, trying to elude their pursuer or pursuers.


	22. Disneyland

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Jennifer tossed her blonde hair back in an air of irresponsibility. The hairdresser had done a good job, giving her the casual tossed look that only a blonde could wear successfully. She only hoped that Larry, Lawrence, would approve, but he was a cold fish. _Probably color blind!_

She let out a curse. _Why don't he like to be called Larry? It suits him. No it don't. And why isn't he here now?_

The doorbell rang.

"Wait a minute, Brittany, I'll get it!"

But the little girl was too quick. She answered the door. "Unka Lawrence!"

"Hello Britanny," said Kevin, picking her up and giving her his best sociopath type smile.

Luckily, the girl was too innocent to see the death look in his eyes, but she would soon know.

"Where were you?" demanded Jennifer. "I was expecting you an hour ago and what about the night club we were to see a couple of nights before. I hired a babysitter and then I had to cancel when you didn't show up."

For a second, Kevin put his hands in his pocket, intending to bring out the scalpel that would take care of the bitch and her syrupy sweet kid, but decided against it. This was not the time.

"My parents arrived from Chicago," he said, "they could only stay for a short time."

"But couldn't you bring them here?" she asked. "You could introduce me as your girlfriend?"

He gave her a peck on her cheek, all the time his stomach churning at the revulsion.

Homo Sapien girls were so disgusting! He had even tried to avoid his mother whenever possible. That's why he acted up, so he could get sent away to boarding school. He never expected them to send him to that Special School and having to put up with those idiots. The Sapiens were so stupid, but these were even below the usual low brained species — Attention Deficit Order — _a nice sounding name for those who didn't pay attention_ and Violent Tendencies — how that Species survived, he never knew. _You must get the enemy before he gets you. Take him unawares!_

_At least, that Russian kid's no longer a threat_. He secretly smiled on the inside. _They'll look and never find him. Only I know his location and I'm not telling._

"You don't know my parents. Really strict."

"More than you Larry?"

"Lawrence," he snapped.

"I'm sorry." Jennifer said, he eyes almost filling with tears. She remembered how her own parents were, and how she had decided to leave home. Putting up with curfews, being in before midnight was not her idea of fun, but now things were different. She didn't have to worry about getting in early, but now she had Brittany and Lawrence was so with her, if only he would soften up a bit.

In some ways, Lawrence reminded her of an incident that happened back four years ago when she worked on a ship owned by this Arthur Wyneth — or rather Waldo Robert E Lee Crowther. She remembered how that lawyer was in the courtroom, not about that the man had refused to pay child support. He was furious The lawyer's middle name was Waldo. How dare a creep, a dead bead, have the same name as he, who had been with his wife until her death and never would think of running out on his kids.

Of course, Jennifer turned states evidence, and watched her brother Ben go to prison. She really didn't care. Mom and Dad liked him best anyway. She tried to reform, but it was too boring, so she went on the streets. She made friends with these other two girls, she forget their name. They were running a scam on rich dudes and they really filled her with information about Arthur.

Anyway, both Lawrence and the Lawyer had the same assurance — it was almost as if they were brothers, but not quite. The lawyer had the same formality, but he was friendly. And there was that other man, the man who jumped from the movie boat to the _Doris Day._ He was a hunk and that was one thing Jennifer appreciated was hunks.

"We could see a movie," said Lawrence, interrupting her thoughts.

"I want to see 'Serena Death', I heard it's quite good."

"I doubt that Brittany would want to see a movie about some broad who kicks some dude to death while wearing nothing but a g-string."

"I wasn't thinking about that, I was thinking about the leading man."

Kevin looked with incomprehension. "What?"

"Herman Restless, the next Arnold. He looks a bit like you."

"Oh? And does he have a PHD behind him? Come get your jacket and your purse. We're going to Disney Land."

"Disney Land."

"Disney Land?" She almost couldn't believe it.

"Yes. Wouldn't you like that Brittany?"

The little girl clapped her hands in glee. "Can we see Mickey, please, please? And Donald? And Daisy? And could we get on the rides?"

"Anything you want Brittany." He picked her up and took her to his car, with her mother following.

"I forgot the camera," said Jennifer.

"Don't worry, I've got one in the glove compartment," said Kevin.

They were just about to drive out when the landlady came over. "Oh Mr. O' Brian," she said, "did you have a nice trip?"

"Trip?" asked Jennifer suspiciously.

The landlady's face was red. "Oops. I think it was to be a surprise."'

"Oh that's all right, she knows," said Kevin, smiling.

"You were planning this all along," explained Jennifer, giving Kevin a hug. "Thank you, Lawrence."

They left and soon drove along the highway. Kevin stopped at the Greyhound station, and went over to a locker to pick up a bag with a change of clothes. After that, they stopped at a mall for a bite to eat, but then at an ATM machine.

There was a storage locker on the way, and Kevin told Jennifer, "I've got some furniture stored there." He held her hand as they waited for the key. The manager soon brought it. As the door opened, she saw the mahogany set, brand new, and heard Lawrence say with pride. "I was thinking of putting it in our new place. We'll need both our salaries, that is, until I get tenure."

Jennifer's eyes were wide with wonder. "How much did it cost you?"

"I'll be paying on it for five years, but you're worth it."

A proposal. She smiled as he took out a ring on her finger and blushed.

"For our future. Now let's get to Disneyland before it gets too dark."


	23. Suspicions

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Sheriff Juan Venticula sat on his chair, his feet on his desk, cradling a cup of java. On the wall was the photograph of a younger version of himself, long dark hair, wearing a plaid shirt and jeans with an older man and a woman, the later wearing a long full skirt and a red blouse. Juan had kept that photograph since he first joined the sheriff's department, a momento of his boyhood, something to say that no Indian had to work as a reservation police officer first to graduate to law enforcement in the white man's world. All one needed to do was to work hard and study. "Still no word on the Nicholas kid?" he asked.

"Nothing" Deputy Tomas looked up from his desk. He was a man in his twenties, dark hair and brown eyes, but tall and skinny rather than the sheriff who was broad faced, and just over the minimum height for law enforcement.

The sheriff's office had the latest in surveillance equipment — you got donations when your brother worked in Silicon Valley — and enough modern conveniences to rival those in the big cities. On the walls were wanted posters of thugs, many with crimes such as unlawful selling of liquor, wife beating, smuggling, car theft, and an occasional murder. Of these, treason was at the top of the list. Memories of 911 were still fresh and there were always fugitives from the Near East trying to get in via Mexico.

They usually crossed the border in covered vans, and those who survived either went into Los Angeles or if they were smart, up the country roads, stopping in the small towns on the way.

The town was near Nevada and Venticula not only patrolled it, but the county. There was not much crime up here, although there had been an influx in the population, mostly construction working on that exclusive school, the one that Nicholas had attended.

"Did we question everyone?"

"The teachers, the kids, the parents. Nothing."

The sheriff put down his coffee. "Any of them seem too eager."

"Well there was that Angela, feller. Government man."

"Didn't strike me as one, more like a vulture."

"Vulture?"

"Bounty Hunter. Could you get on the computer and check his credentials?"

"Right boss."

An hour later, Deputy Tomas printed out the information and brought it to his boss.."Here."

The sheriff looked it over, nodded hear and there as if to say, "I knew it," before he finished reading it, and picked up his telephone, dialed, and heard the audible click on the other end.. "Hello, this is Sheriff Venticula, is Mr. Angela in?"

"Just a minute," said the school receptionist, "I'll get him."

He waited for about five minutes, tapping his toes, and whistling an old Country ballad until Frederick answered the call. "Look Mr. Angela, I know you're in the company." He shook several papers. "I've no idea why the CIA"s visiting our little town and why they seem so interested in an exclusive school, but if you don't want me to phone Washington and say that you're deliberately harboring a murderer …"

"Oh you also believe the Nicholas kid is dead?" asked Angela.

"I didn't say that."

"But you inferred it. Look, I have my suspicions and I'm sure you do as well. I was talking to Nicholas. He has or had the promise of a good counter intelligence man. Not in the field, but working behind the lines. I'm sure that someone, perhaps some friends of his grandparents, didn't want him to take the course, so they got rid of him."

Venticula nodded. Perhaps it was the Russians, but the Cold war was already over. "Perhaps you suspect someone, or someones."

"Name a place and time, and I'll be there."

"Okay Mr. Angela. Bring me a list of anyone you suspect, child molesters, child killers, KGB agents, jealous parents, teachers, gangsters."

"And how do you know I have any information?"

"Because you are quite young for a company man, and the only way, you could get so far was to hang around in police stations and military bases. I wouldn't be surprised if you're a military brat yourself."

There was a noticeable pause and then Frederick answered. "I'll be there in half an hour perhaps."

The sheriff looked at the clock, estimating that Angela would be there in an hour, and after hanging up the phone, dialed Tom's number.

He didn't have long to wait. Sloan was in the kitchen, using the sink to experiment with certain chemicals. She poured one batch into a cup and another in a mug and then combined them in the big stainless steel bowl on the counter, waiting until it foamed up over the top and into the drain. Carefully, she lifted up the bowl, using a pair of tongs on each end and using a metal scoop, put it into a small metal container, which she sealed and labeled.

"That's that," she said. "Now to try it on the weeds." She was about to test it on one particular spreading nuisance when the phone rang. Quickly she resealed the container, checked to see if the skull and crossbones were prominent enough, put it on the top shelf, and locking the cupboard. "The Gutierrez residence. Oh hello sheriff what can we do for you?"

"Mrs. Gutierrez, ma'am, I was wondering whether you, your husband, and your children, John and Mary might come in for questioning."

"Why yes, but they're boarding at the school. Oh this is about the search."

He heard the reluctance in her voice. "Young Nicholas. Oh dawn I can't pronounce those Russian names! I heard that your kids are friends of his and I was wondering if they had seen anyone suspicious or heard Nicholas say something — well you know how kids are – to not tell anyone that someone was bothering him. You realize that kids think they're doing the right thing, but …"

"We'll be there. We'll have to pick them up at school, first."

"Okay an hour then?"

"Yes Sheriff."

After she hung up the phone, the sheriff asked Linda Cabaño, his female deputy, to come in.

"What is it chief?" she asked.

"We're having the Gutierrez kids come in. You can get information out of a granite stone."

She smiled. "I sure can."

However, when Tom, Sloan, John, and Mary arrived via a van with dark tinted windows and parking close to the back door so no one could see them enter, the sheriff was just as puzzled as ever. A block behind them was a blue car with West Virginia License Plates who parked opposite the restaurant across the street.

"That must be that CIA agent," whispered Venticula. "Cabaño go across and tell them that I had to — oh make some excuse. I don't want him to give the Gutierrezes any help."

Tom, Sloan, John, and Mary came in the back door. The sheriff questioned the parents first, and of course, Tom and Sloan were careful in not telling him that Lawrence was in reality an evil Homo Dominant called Kevin and that he might have kidnapped Nicholas. Besides, if it was Kevin, the Council had its own way of dealing with them and woe to any Sapiens who got in the way!. They gave the usual song and dance about perhaps it was a disgruntled employee who used to work for Tom's company at which the Sheriff thought, _It seems that everyone has a disgruntled employee. Next they'll mention a Funny Uncle or someone just as despicable_.

"What makes you think that a disgruntled employee of your company would go after a Russian kid?"

"Because he knows that he's friends of my children and probably thinks he can get a ransom from us," said Tom.

Taking out his notepad, Venticula scribbled the information and whatever Tom and Sloan gave him. He then went to question the kids.

"Maybe his grandparents had enemies," said John, looking appropriately innocent, "Weren't they Communists?"

"And how about you young lady?"

Mary shrugged. "There's that man who always hangs around the tennis court."

"What's he look like?"

"Black hair, wears blue jeans, has those runners with the red dot at the heel, and uses Crest whiteners — at least, that's what Brittany tells me. She sits two chairs behind me in home economics. John's not allowed to attend that."

"Anyone else?" Venticula now turned to John.

"Our janitor."

"It's always the janitor, don't you know?" asked the sheriff, glaring at the boy. "Now tell me who else?"

John gave out names, most of whom Venticula dismissed as teachers who gave extra homework, and men who need more than a shave to be presentable. The sheriff then turned to Mary who also added a female teacher who was a judo instructor and that foreman who was in charge of the construction of the new wing.

"Thank you, you can go now." he said, turning off the recorder. When they left, he spoke with his deputy. "Go across and get Mr. Angela. Ask him if there's any and get that technician on the phone. We'll need him.

The questioning of Mr. Angela took another hour, during which they recorded his suspicions, most of whom echoed John and Mary's, but minus most of the teachers they had odds with.

"So we have Nicholas's grandparents, being Russian, former KGB or so they say. We also have some construction workers and at least four teachers most of whom gave too much homework. There's also a near by registered sex offender who preys on boys, but he's not allowed to go anywhere near the school or playground area."

Cabaño opened her notebook. "Mary told of an ice cream truck and the mail man acting rather suspicious. What is it Joe?"

Joe scratched his head. "Usually it's one person, a funny uncle, or they don't want to volunteer anything. If we'd of kept them here more than a couple of hours, the whole town'd be under arrest."

He knew what was going on. One of the people that the children mentioned was one, they considered, responsible for Nicholas's disappearance. "I'll listen to the tape and compare it to what their parents said and Mr. Angela's. Since he's an outsider, he'd have no reason to protect one of his own."

For an hour, both he and Cabaño watched the small reels go round, but saw nothing strange. However, the same two names came up in the interview with Tom and Sloan and their children and also mentioned by Angela. At first, he thought the kids were angry with the two teachers, but Angela also mentioned the same two. Joe then copied the tapes into the big reel, using the analyzer to see if one of those names evoked a different reaction. There was.

"Right here," he said, "Did you notice that the children said one name louder than the rest?"

"But Mr. Angela's voice remained the same."

"Possibly because Mr. Angela figured he could deal with this person and the children could not."

"Or else, sir," said Tomas, "he wants to get this person in a dark alley without us being aware." He got on the phone and started dialing.

"That's quite possible." The sheriff reloaded his gun and put on his jacket. Instinct told him that in dealing with this person, he needed an advantage. "We'll need an excuse, perhaps the widows and orphans fund, but if he's that smart, he'd be on his guard."

"There's no answer sir," said the deputy. "I'll call the neighbor. Maybe they know something."

"Okay do that, I'd rather catch him at home or at school, so he's probably took a little sick leave. I'd hate if he got wind of our suspicions and went to Los Angeles. There's not much in our bud—"

But he never finished his sentence, for someone had driven up and rushed into his office.

It was a commissioner from the bus depot. "Sorry to interrupt you, there's a funny smell coming from one of the lockers."

Venticula let out a profanity and wrote something on a piece of paper. "Cabaño, you come with me.

"Yes boss."


	24. Confirmation

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

John sat in the driver's seat, while his father kept an eye so that no CHIP would appear over the horizon. You certainly did not let a pre teenager driver, that is, in Homo Sapien society, but i Homo Dominants expected everyone to drive unless you lived in a city such as New York where everyone took cabs, buses, or the subway. Even the Council looked down on those Sapien men who felt their wives were too ignorant to take the wheel.

To the Dominants, learning a certain task meant you were now an adult. If you were too poor, the Council had a fund — well I won't tell how many Sapiens were killed to get it — to pay for the driving lessons if the particular Dominants were over the age of sixteen.

Tom's son, although married in Dominant society, carefully took the wheel while his father gave instruction. "Keep your eye on the road, not on your sister."

"Yes father."

"Turn the wheel slightly and let your foot off the pedal. Now keep your eyes and instinct on alertness. What does the wheel of a police officer on patrol sound like?"

At that, John gave an imitation.

"Incorrect. That's the one of a Hell's Angel's motorcycle. The police officer on a motorcycle has to be able to increase his speed and has none of the fancy equipment used by Motorcycle gangs to impress. Try again."

This time, John did it perfectly. He drove on for about five minutes, occasionally looking out the window, and not thinking of the questions until his father suddenly barked.

"And what are you to do when you hear that?"

"That sound? The truck?"

"No, what we were discussing earlier."

"Oh. I ascertain whether my five minute warning sense is on. If it is, immediately undo the seatbelt, adjust the seat backwards to accommodate you or any adult, switch to the passenger seat, you will climb from the back. If that's impossible, climb in the back first at a left angle; a right angle if over in England."

"I didn't mention England," his father said. "Now how much time is allotted?"

"Less than five seconds for the van is gaining speed. The adult grasps the steering wheel while climbing over."

"Excellent. You may now stop the van. Mary, you can have a go."

"Is Nicholas dead?" asked John.

Tom looked at Sloan. "I'm sure he is, aren't you?"

"The sheriff believes too. Perhaps he's wrong."

"That is false hope, the one to whom I have the highest affection, for if Kevin or even a Sapien child molester took him, they would have had their amusement at his expense on the first day, preferably the first few hours."

Sloan shivered. "I hope he died quickly." But her heart told her otherwise. Whether Kevin or a child molester; Nicholas's death would be extremely painful and slow.

Mary had her own mistakes, mostly slowing the car down when she felt she saw a hazard, and speeding it up to compensate usually when they approached the slow down speed near a railway, school district, or hospital.

"You had better let me drive now," said her father.

"I have estimated the allotted time between me and John and I can drive for an extra ten minutes."

"Not if a Chip is driving over the horizon."

"Oh."

Quickly there was a switch, and both John and Mary found themselves sitting behind their mother, which let them opportunity to discuss Kevin.

"I wonder what punishment the Council has?" asked Mary.

"A grievous punishment it will be," said John with a slight sneer.

"Are you were watching that Sapien movie of the tall blonde female bad actress portraying a bad imitation of an ancient female warrior."

"There is a young Sapien in Far Eastern costume, which was interesting."

"Considering that Earth was particularly young at that time, it is inconceivable that they wore more than animal skins," said Mary as she took out an emery board to do her nails.

"I believe so."

Suddenly the car stopped, and flung them back. Tom then turned around, asking, "Do you have any information about Kevin's residence?"

"The addresses would be in the school registrar in the main office," said John, "but Kevin would have given a false one."

"The school would have to notify him. He couldn't take a chance."

"Cell phone?"

"No, the cell phone would need registration and besides the two of you are apt enough to locate Kevin's living quarters."

"Yes, but I do not have the security setting to break into the school records."

"Then I will have to do it. Sloan, could you switch with me?"

"All right," she said, and moved the seat forward.

Sloan took the wheel while Tom got out a palm pilot and using a small metal pen like object, moved it around until he stopped. "You can look now."

"Kevin's address?"

"He resides in an apartment in a family apartment complex." Pressing a small indentation on the back of the palm pilot, which changed it into a cell phone, he dialed a number, waited until the answering ring continued for twenty times and then when he was about to hang up, heard someone on the other end.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," he said in a voice none of the children, nor their mother recognized, "This is the Western Californian Fruit Growers Association. We've just created a new beverage and you have won…"

"I don't respond to telemarketers," said the woman and hung up.

"He's not home," said their father who dialed another number that rang about fifty times until the same woman came on. This time, Tom disguised his voice as a Russian, asking if anyone had seen his great nephew and when she said no, he asked who she was and gave her a number in case, Nicholas did come there

After that, he hung up and explained. 'That was the landlady who is looking after Kevin's place until he returns. He's gone to Disneyland with one of the other tenants, a woman called Jessica. According to the landlady, they're living together."

"If we are going to search his place, we need help, father."

"It is best not to inform your mate, John, nor yours Mary. I believe your quarters now have cell phone services." He handed him and Mary one each. "They have been programmed so that the Council will reimburse Sprint. You note there is no ability to reproduce photographic images. When you reach your fifteenth name day, you will get one with all the privileges and costs."

"Yes father," said John.

It took several minutes to get to Richard and Elena and rely the message The Chief Chosen gave them and half an hour to reach Kevin's apartment.

Waiting until the landlady got her rent from another tenant, Tom opened the door, and the children followed.

"We must first search the drawers and the closets," said Tom.

"What do we look for?" asked Sloan.

"Anything that belonged to Nicholas, eyeglasses for, Kevin would want to keep a trophy."

"Fingers or toes?"

"No, Sloan. That is not a Homo Dominant criminal fetish. Since we are higher than Sapiens, we consider that anything that they have to use to compensate for their frailties, a prize."

"Oh you mean like crutches or wheelchairs."

"Yes, but something that is easily carried." He picked something from the floor. "A diabetic thermometer."

"I didn't know that Nicholas had diabetes," said Mary.

"He doesn't," said John. "Here's something."

Tom took the object and held it for a few seconds before placing it back in the exact position it was. "A pill box with the pills still in them, I believe the victim had arthritis."

They continued searching the apartment, going through every drawer, even entering the bathroom and checking the medicine closet. There were a couple of prescription bottles, but when they examined them, they contained regular Vitamin C and multi-vitamins. Since Kevin nor any Dominant needed these, Tom had them all search through in the bedroom drawer for the originals. They found them. Kevin had killed two people who needed these prescriptions, bought placebos, and put his name and that of a fake physician on the labels.

"I recognize him," said Mary, "he's a famous doctor at The California Institute."

"And he's also a Dominant," said her husband.

Suddenly Mary gasped.

"What is it?" asked her mother.

"That's Nicholas's," she said, pointing to the metal bracelet.

As they looked at the small medical alert bracelet on the telephone bench, they knew, for certain, that Nicholas was dead. He would never take it off his wrist.

They heard the landlady approach, smelled her cologne, and before she had opened the door, they had sneaked out the window, and back in the van, before she was aware of what happened.

While Sloan drove, Tom kept looking out the window. He had seen the sheriff get in his car, and head out soon after they left. It would be simple matter to locate him. However, he decided to phone the deputy.

He rang the number and got the deputy. "Hello, I was wondering if the Sheriff's in."

"He's out on a call. What is this about?"

"This is Señor Gutierrez, I have to speak to him personally, and it's rather urgent."

"Is this about the case we were discussing a while ago?"

"Yes it is. Look Deputy. I worked with the _Rurales_ in my twenties and I could be of some assistance."

:"Under who?"

"Captain Ruiz," he said giving such information that was necessary for the deputy to track down the _Rurale _captain.

"I didn't know you worked with the _Rurales_," said Sloan.

"It was part of my training, to infiltrate the Mexican authorities. You know that I knew Spanish."

"Not at the time we met."

"Lewis wiped that part of my memory. I didn't learn of it until a certain trigger, programmed by the Council brought back my knowledge of that language."

"What was the trigger?" asked Mary.

"Before I met your mother, a bank guard flicked a lighter unwillingly causing my ability to know Spanish to return. I had to make your mother believe that my knowledge of the language was limited at best. That trigger has no effect on me now."

"And I thought mother got you a Transparent Language course," said John with a slight sneer.

"That would be unnecessary. Now, be quiet. The Deputy's back on the line."

"I checked with Ruiz. He remembers you. The sheriff went to the bus stop, something about the lockers."

"Thank you, Deputy," said Tom, and hung up. "Sloan, drive as fast as you can to the bus stop. I'll notify the school that John and Mary will be late."

She started the car, dreading what they would find.


	25. Proposal

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Kevin smiled as little Brittany shrieked with delight as the three of them twirled in the Tea Cup ride. He had accomplished his ends, his giving the ring to her mother, and taking care of that Nicholas brat.

"You shouldn't have, Lawrence," had said Jennifer, her eyes lighting up at the five caret ring. "It's so huge!"

"Nothing's too good for you," And his eyes sparkled with insincerity.

After that it was a day of driving to Disneyland, getting in the crowd, a soon to be family mingling with other families, pretending to be like them and yet never going to accomplish that goal.

Jennifer had not much money. She struggled working at a low wage job, but Brittany was the one who was their meal ticket, Brittany, whose paternal grandfather had set up a trust fund for her, $100,000 a year plus interest.

2f course, Jennifer didn't know about the trust fund. All she knew was that every month she received an alimony of over five hundred dollars a month, two hundred of which was child support, the rest for her, medical and dental expenses, and of course, so that Brittany would attend the finest school. The lawyer had even drawn up a plan in which she deposited a monthly sum into a College fund.

Kevin intended to get that money and there was only one way to do it, get rid of Jennifer.

Unfortunately, the trust fund specialized that Brittany had to come forth at twenty-one to receive the balance of her fund and that they would be very suspicious if it was not considerably over the original amount. Then she would receive the amount in a settlement unless she married before that.

_I'll have to find a husband for you when you reach sixteen_, thought Kevin, _and as soon as the money's in your hands, good-bye hubby. _

All though he hated the idea of waiting so long and if she were a Dominant, she would have been married off in a few years.

"Look at me! Oh there's Donald Duck!"

"One more round Brittany and we'll get off and see Donald," said her mother.

"Do you want to get on the Big Thunder Railroad?" asked Kevin.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"Oh she'll be safe."

All through the ride, Kevin toyed with the idea of tossing the child overboard, but decided against it. That would have been too easy. There had to be a wedding, preferably one done in a Church, the one similar to that done by Tom and Sloan. After that, he would play the loving husband and father for when he finally disposed of them, no one would suspect.

In Sapien society, if a wife died mysteriously, they arrested the husband. Homo Sapiens were such fools. He had fooled his stepfather and his mother and he still fooled the latter. She had no idea he had killed her husband and she never would.

Brittany screamed in fright, holding her hands to her ears as the explosions went off.

Kevin held her. "It's all right. We're inside the train, but I think we should go on a safer ride.Don't you, Britanny?"

"Y-yes," she said, clutching his sleeve.

He told Jennifer that Brittany was a little too timid for the ride and they went off to get some Cotton Candy. After that, the little girl was back to being her exuberant self, jumping ahead of them as they walked along the walkway.

They couldn't see all the attractions, although they did manage to see Snow White and Brittany shook her hand. Kevin won her a Donald Duck doll at the shooting match, and he spent quite a bit on Jennifer, getting her a plastic ring, a fancy umbrella, dinner — the things that a man did to impress a woman.

It was late afternoon when he decided that they had to drive back home. "Do you think next month would be too soon to get married?" he asked. "We can publish the banns in the Church. A friend of my mother's a dress designer. She can make your dress."

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Bright yellow with white trim! And just like that one worn by Lacy in that movie, the one where Brant proposes to her."

"That was blue and it was very short."

"And yellow nylons to match and a hat with real daffodils."

"Daffodils it is," he said.

"I'm tired," said Brittany.

"We'll be home soon, sweetheart," said her mother. She looked once in Kevin's eyes, seeing something dark, but she could not fathom its depths. Perhaps he's having second thoughts, but then just leaned back. Who would have second thoughts about her? She was the best, the prize.


	26. Locker

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The boy had managed to get the plastic bag off his face, using a pin to punch holes through the plastic, but it was too late. The killer had sealed the inside of the vents so the kid suffocated. It was a horrible and painful way to die and Sheriff Venticula, a man used to seeing violence, had to keep from gagging.

The CSI team already dusted for prints, but Venticula knew it was useless. For some reason, he believed the killer was too intelligent to leave evidence.

"There's someone here to see you, sir," said Cabaño.

"Who is it?"

"It's Señor and Señora Gutierrez and their children."

"Oh," He breathed deeper, taking in the scent of death, thinking of how to tell the Ravoniches that a monster had stuffed their son in a plastic bag with just enough room so he could get free, left him with a pin, and then sealed him in a locker. He swung around to see Tom Daniels.

"Have you found Nicholas yet?" asked the Supreme Chosen.

"And what makes you think he's here?"

"This is a bus stop, no?"

"I don't think your wife or children should see this. Cabaño, take them to the cafeteria and get them something to eat."

"But sir," said Cabaño.

"My wife's a scientist. She's used to seeing decapitated bodies."

"I was thinking of your children, for them to see this."

He showed Tom the corpse. It was Nicholas all right and CSI was busy trying to remove the corpse, which had gone through rigor mortis. The boy had struggled when he was shoved into the locker. Venticula was sure that the killer made sure the boy was awake at the time.

"There are holes in the plastic," said Tom.

"Yes, the killer left a pin in with the boy."

The Supreme Chosen moved closed, moving his hands along the side of boy's slacks

"What are you doing?" the sheriff asked, putting his hand out to stop him.

"Trying to ascertain how long Nicholas took to find the pin. Can you turn him over?"

When the sheriff and one of the CSI, a woman, did so, Tom felt with his finger, now going through the back pocket on the boys jeans, and then he had an idea.. "Could you pull up his sleeves?"

"Sure here," Venticula said.

"What is that on his shoulder and his arms?" Tom asked the CSI woman. "Please in simplest terms. My English is mostly basic."

As she did so, she showed Tom, the physical signs for her comments. "Strain from reaching behind. The kid's physically challenged. That means he had to reach either from lifting his arm up and down to his back or the other way around. The plastic is stretched at that end."

"Why didn't the janitorial staff hear him?"

At this, the Sheriff got a little peeved. "Look Señor Gutierrez. This is not like in Los Angeles. Most of the people here live as you do in small communities and have to drive or bus their way here. It's the same with the janitors."

"So you believe it was between shifts, as you say."

"Right" He saw his deputy coming back, shaking her head. "What is it?"

"I had to tell them about the boy. They insist on seeing him."

"I thought I told you."

"I believe they can take it."

It came time for the Sheriff to put on his scariest speech, tell the youngsters that if they knew anything, even so trivial, they were to tell him. "For instance, did one of the other students seem extremely happy afterwards? Did someone, a man who looked sideways, leave the area? Did one of the teachers have a lighter step? Did someone come into money unexpectedly?" He knew what they would say when they did. "Ah, do you mean the one who took a day's vacation?"

"What vacation?" John asked, his face widened to show apparent innocence.

"I don't mean a regular vacation, but someone who takes time off because he had to work during the regular holiday break. It's also known as sick time."

"Mr. O' Brian said that he was going to propose to his girlfriend," Mary said.

"So why is that significant?"

She shrugged. "Well the other teachers if they're getting engaged, they start acting happy, and give us less homework, look out the window and rush through all their work as if they're expecting someone. Mr. O'Brian did not. Maybe he got her pregnant and had to marry her or she's so ugly and fat…"

"It could be the other teacher." _If that sheriff finds out that Mr. O'Brian is really Kevin and he arrests him, he'll take credit and we'll never have the honor of destroying him._

"You know it's not. He's the only one it could be," Mary retorted. _Nicholas was not one of us, but he was our friend. It was Kevin. Let the Sapien arrest him. The Council can enter his jail cell and dispose of him. There are poisons they do not detect_.

Luckily, although Dominants could sense emotions and the future reactions of Sapiens, they could not read minds and those sensing of future reactions, the five minute sense, was a full blown protection against danger, that the Sapiens had lost or had diminished.

Venticula looked at Tom. "Do you know anything about this?"

"Not of O'Brian, but when one of the teachers has, in modern terms, a life changing situation, he or she decreases the homework or suddenly incorporates his experience into the subject matter."

"What?"

"I learned English from reading Dickens and Thackeray. Our children are boarding at the school, but we keep in touch with them regularly. I often inquired as to their homework and found that once in a while they'd have a free subject."

The sheriff just shrugged. "I think I'll question this Mr. O'Brian. Anyway, I have to find out something."

"Oh if it were Mr. O'Brian and if someone saw him here carrying a rather lumpy burlap sack over his shoulders."

"That would attract attention. A truck, perhaps."

"Or perhaps he was in disguise as a stevedore."

"You did learn English from reading Victorian novels, Mr. Gutierrez," Veniticula said and walked away.

It took some time for the sheriff to track down management. He was sitting at his desk, eating a tortilla, and going over the employee list. "Hello sheriff," he said, "looking for runaways?"

"No Bob. I was wondering if you have a list of your employees, the janitorial staff, and the times they're on."

"No need. I can tell you by heart. They start at midnight."

"So what time does the last bus leave here?"

"You know that sheriff, ten o'clock. Then we have to kick out all the bums and find shelters and hotels to put up all the stranded passengers and the homeless for the night."

"Thank you, Bob." He started to walk away and then he rotated. "Say Bob, could you tell me the names of your employees the ones that were working on these nights?" he asked, handing him a list of the date the CSI woman said that the murderer placed Nicholas in the locker.

"That'll be Susanne Trent, and Julian Forrest. I'll give you their addresses. They work night, so it'd be best to call them in the afternoon."

When he returned, the CSI had already finished their job. "I'd say about a week ago, possibly after the weekend, Monday or Tuesday. I also found a bag of dry ice nearby. If our suspect put it in there, I'd say that it could be either day or perhaps Wednesday."

"So that throws us off. So when can I go and make arrests?"

"I think the killer's overconfident," she said as she packed her bag. "I'll have the medical examiner call and give you a more exact date."

"Okay." Except for the Guiterrezes who were busy chatting with his deputy, most had left. They had packed the body in the ambulance on the way to the morgue and now all he had to do was to use his instincts to find out if O'Brian was the type of monster who would stuff a kid in the locker.


	27. Las Vegas

This is a little crossover with Las Vegas, the NBC show. I couldn't use all the characters since this is supposed to be in either 2006 or 2007 and when Las Vegas ended, the Casino was being blown up. I am assuming that Danny gets married, and he has an important position in either the renewed Casino or another one. That said, I did not name the Casino.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Kevin had no idea that the sheriff, the Chosen, and his mate had joined forces. He was in his glory. A little persuasion, a phone call to the school about a family emergency, and he, Jennifer, and Brittany were on their way to Las Vegas. He knew they had a residence requirement for a marriage license, but he was good at getting through that.

"Lawrence are we there yet?"

"Soon Jennifer." He let an envelope slip out of his pocket.

"Who's this Kevin?" she asked.

"Me." He looked at her with a smile. "Kevin Lawrence O'Brian, but it makes me sound so much like Kermit the Frog."

"Oh Lawrence you have a sense of humor." She thought for a moment. "Lawrence does sound more dignified."

"I half forgave my parents for forcing me to watch the Muppets." He listened to Jennifer giggle. If she only realized that the only way he was marrying her was because of Brittany. If all went well, Jennifer would have a short and happy life – of about five minutes after the wedding or after he formally adopted the little girl and then in a few years, he would marry her off to that boy, the grand nephew of Gregory, head of the Cooperation Program. That would ensure his getting in the Council when, there was no maybe, Gregory fell down because of a bullet hole in his heart.

"When we are getting hitched?" asked Jennifer.

"As soon as we get there," he whispered in her ears, "I have connections."

She did not question him. After all, she was used to getting what she wanted and had no discretion as far as the characters of the men she dated. Then again, she would not be alive that long.

They continued to drive, Las Vegas now in sight and he could see in Jennifer's face an excitement of the glamour.

When they finally arrived in Las Vegas, Kevin stopped at one of the hotels with a casino. "I have to see about our rooms and the license, darling," he said and threw her a brochure. "This is the finest Wedding Chapel here There's a dress shop nearby." He handed her a couple of ten thousand dollar bills. "See if you find something nice for you and Brittany. You don't mind being a flower girl for your mother, do you?"

"Do I get to wear a pretty dress?"

"Just like Cinderella and the ball," Kevin said with a smile.

He walked away quickly, entering the hotel by the fire exit, using his key, and making sure no one saw him coming. As it was, he had placed a sign on the door saying he was ill.

The man who opened the door looked exactly like Kevin, and even sounded like him.

The duplicate smiled. "I didn't know I had a brother."

"You don't. You don't even exist."

Before the duplicate could get at his gun, Kevin sprang on him. A quick twist of the neck, a turn on the eliminator and the duplicate was now just a pile of dust. Kevin swept the remains into the toilet, flushed them, and made a gagging sound.

He then went out into the hallway.

"Feeling better?" asked one of the hotel staff.

"Still a little weak."

"Well, if I could help you downstairs. I'll get a wheelchair."

Once downstairs, the rest of the staff were solicitous of his welfare. They offered him drinks, free play at the Casino, which Kevin refused, not because of any moral compunction, but because the Dominants were more addicted to gambling than Sapiens. Even though they always won, the Casino bosses would get very suspicious. Kevin didn't want to bring attention to himself.

"Anything we can do for you?" asked one of the hostesses.

"If you can get me to my car, because I'm getting married."

"Yes, I met your young lady. She's waiting in the bar as usual."

Kevin almost forgot about her. He had not only had a substitute for himself but one for Jennifer, although he did not transfer Jennifer's thoughts into her as he did his own on his substitute.. She was just a porn actress who resembled his fiancé. Now all he had to do was to get Jennifer in that suite after he took care of the actress permanently. Everyone knew she had a large mouth and it was not the size of her lips

Kevin checked his watch. Jennifer and Brittany were by now getting the royal treatment at the Wedding salon. Now all he had to do was to get rid of the actress, and get down to the Wedding Chapel which he already had an appointment with, thanks to his substitute.

"Hi lover," The girl certainly did look like Jennifer, her blonde hair and figure matched perfectly. She was carrying a bottle..

"Hi Jennifer."

"Feeling better?" she asked, her blond hair falling over her shoulders.

"A little."

"Enough for a night cap?"

That was his chance. "The roof?"

"The roof it is."

She sauntered off, her hips swaying as he followed. They went into the elevator, waited until the other passengers got off, and continued up.

He had to be very careful. If someone discovered that they entered the elevator together and only he excited, they would know that something was up and that security guard, Danny, that was his name, would tell his boss. Kevin had a back up plan.

When he and Jennifer left the elevator, and went over to the edge, a janitor was busy cleaning the floor below. It was a hot night and because of the chemicals in the cleaning solutions, he needed the air vents open. He could hear everything.

:"Say you're not Jennifer."

"Of course, I'm not!" The voice of the female was now hard.

"Where is she?"

"In this Casino where you can never find her!"

The janitor got out his cell phone and made a call to security, but before they arrived on the scene, there was a scream.

A rather disheveled Kevin ran down to the stairs from the rooftop. "She jumped before she told me."

"What is it?" asked one of the men.

"I thought she was my girlfriend, but Jennifer has a mole on her right thigh."

When the police came to look at the body, they ascertained that Kevin was right.

They took Kevin to the office where they questioned him on why he was alone with a woman who pretended to be his fiancé. Kevin pretended to be upset, bemoaning that his fiancé was probably dead. Meanwhile Danny, that was the name of one of the staff, told his boss and the others made a thorough search of the Casino.

Two hours later, they found the real Jennifer who didn't know what was going on. After all, she hadn't been kidnapped, but since they promised her flowers for her room and were going to pay for the wedding, why not?

"I made arrangements with the Wedding Chapel," said Danny, "The guy that owns it is a friend of mine." He smiled. "That's where we were married."

"Why thank you," Kevin said, noticing the wedding ring, and hugging Danny, "and thank you for saving my Jennie."

"Quite all right."

The wedding was all that Jennifer hoped for. She wore a white gown, and for her bridesmaids, Danny had found four of the Casino's hostesses.

Why, he even found a famous band to play for them.

Well, thought Kevin, let her enjoy it, for tomorrow there will be no more Jennifer.

"I was thinking of adopting Brittany," he whispered to his new bride, "so that we can be a real family."

She smiled and kissed him, not seeing the coldness in his eyes.


	28. Red Herring

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

A thorough search of Lawrence O'Brian's, alias Kevin's apartment, revealed nothing of interest. Of course, Tom and Sloan could have told the Sheriff that.

It yielded a closet full of off the rack suits, a Norelco electric razor, a drawer full of underwear, both boxers and briefs, an unopened pair of socks, several socks in a bag ready for the laundry, and a plastic bag from a well known shop that dealt with groom's wear.

There was also an empty corsage box and a form for change of address. Venticula went into the bathroom and found, among the usual male stuff of Old Spice (still a favorite), Gillette antiperspirant, and Brut, and several pill bottles.

If Kevin had been an ordinary man, he would have left fingerprints on them, and even the most careful of men could not replace the safety seal on the lids.

But, Kevin was not ordinary.

"Cabaño, get these analyzed," Venticula said, handed them to the deputy, and looked at the black hard bed as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. Anyway, he was used to psychos and crazies. One man he knew lathered himself in Zest, and then wore his underwear backward before going on a killing spree. Another man jumped on a trampoline he had in his living room while wearing a bearskin and army boots on the wrong feet. There was still another killer who always read poetry and went through the Bible, putting black felt crayon over all the references to the Ten Commandments and himself, and there were others — well, it made him sick to think about them. Someone who slept on a bed that was as hard as the top of a mesa, was mild compared to them. .

There were brochures on the bed; most to do with Las Vegas and besides them was a travel itinerary giving the estimated tours during the Summer holidays. There was also a print out from a budget travel web site. This brought out a, "Hmm."

"Something wrong?" asked Tom.

"Yes. Do you do a lot of travel?"

"I do go to see the family back home. Why?"

"Do you leave things on the bed, brochures?"

"No. I pile them with everything else, newspapers, and magazines, various papers or I take out perhaps the most important and leave them in a drawer or in my briefcase."

Venitcula wrinkled his nose. "He wanted us to see this."

"It does seem so unlike him," said Sloan, "as what the children said."

The sheriff took up the brochures. "It looks as if he was planning to save for a trip to Las Vegas when the holidays came, or so he wants us to think."

"And what about why he's not at the school?"

They had already taken the children back.

"He's probably got another plan. He already killed Nicholas. He's on the run," Tom said.

That seemed so unlike Kevin.

"Unless," added the sheriff, "Nicholas was just an afterthought."

"Are you sure he's not one of you?" Sloan whispered to her husband.

"No," Tom whispered back, "he's a complete Homo Sapien."

"Yes sir," she said. "He doesn't have a bed, just this black thing raised from the floor. Looks like it's a sofa only it's very hard and it has some designs on it."

Venticula entered and pressed the bed room, pressing his hand against the designs on the black bed.. "I'm getting a weird sensation from it. Señor Gutierrez, do you know anything about this?"

Walking into the room, Tom looked at the black bed. It was a typical Dominant bed, known as a black bed. There was a reason for it, to show the Sapiens that the Dominants were superior for only they felt comfortable sleeping in a bed with no mattress

"What do you want to know?" he asked suspiciously.

"The carvings, they seem almost like a pattern of the night sky."

"He didn't expect anyone to find this. He thought you would go after the other teacher."

The sheriff shook his head. "When someone is an obvious subject, I know he's not. It was too easy. Now tell me about this so called black bed?"

"Should you tell him?" asked Sloan.

"I think I'd better." Tom turned to the sheriff. "Have you heard about several murders that started in the 1950s and the perpetuators suspected as being from Mexico, Oaxaca, Mexico? It wouldn't be common knowledge to ordinary police, or the ordinary motor patrolman, but only to officers like yourself. It might be put out on a special notice."

The sheriff thought for a second. "Has this something to do with a certain Randall Lynch, reported to have decapitated several men, and raped their women?"

"Yes. O'Brian' s one of them, but his real name is Kevin, I don't know his last name. He's what's known as a member of the New Species, also a Dominant. I assume you have that information on your need to know file. I have it on mine. My superior was killed in a gun battle with some coyotes and I then became temporary head of command."

The deputy came from the bathroom with a pair of frilly thongs and a Barbie Doll. "Looks like Mr. Lawrence had company or he's not what we think."

"Well if he had a child, Las Vegas is the last place he'd take her."

"You're right," aid the sheriff, "Disneyland." He took out his cell phone.

The Disneyland staff said that they' d look through their videos for a man of Lawrence O' Brian's description and get back to him.


	29. Honeymoon

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The one thing that Dominants do very well is to prepare for the worse. For Kevin, the worse were his kind and those of the Homo Sapiens uniting in his capture and that was why he left obvious clues.

If anyone came to his apartment, they would see the brochures on Las Vegas and rightly decide that was where he would go — until they saw the doll and the information on Disneyland. They would, therefore, travel to Disneyland and leave him and little Brittany – too bad that she would soon be an orphan. Jennifer was not to be long for this world.

Kevin looked at the dead mouse. It had taken the mouse too fast to die: two seconds. He had to dilute the poison more.

Flashback to yesterday: "Sign here, Mr. O'Brian." The lady in the Federal office was quite pleasant, dark faced, and wavy black hair. She wore a hot pink blouse and a suit just as few shades darker

"Thank you."

"And you, Mrs. O'Brian."

Jennifer took out her pen. They kissed each other as the woman in the hot pink blouse bent down and shook Brittany's hand. "Well Brittany, you're now Brittany O'Brian. You have a new daddy."

And the little girl clapped her hands. "Do you mean I have a real daddy?"

"Yes forever."

In the car, Jennifer looked at her new husband with joy. "That was the best thing you ever did for me."

"How about we celebrate? The Casino's got a good babysitting service. "We go on top of the Tower and look down."

Jennifer shook her head. "Maybe we should go to our room and cuddle a bit more," she said, smiling.

Kevin hid his dark thoughts and smiled some more. "I really should go back to teaching." _Yes, let her feel that she's the one who wants to stay._

"But Lawrence, I mean Kevin, you said you had some free time. We could try the Casino."

"Not for me. I win too much. Got a system."

"Well why don't you try it."

"The Las Vega Gambling Commission fixed all their slot machines and roulette wheels to guard against it and the ones in Atlantic City too." He scratched his face. "There is a Casino on the Dakota Sioux Indian Reservation that still hasn't been fixed, but that's quite a bit far out of our way and I have to get back to the school."

She put her arms around Kevin's neck. "Please? You don't have to gamble. Just give me the money. I won't win much —just enough for a fancy restaurant."

"All right darling." He drove along the streets, turned into the Casino parking lot, and drove up the ramp that led to the fifth level.

There were several people in the elevator that led to the main floor, a rich couple going up to the Penthouse where the more favored guests stayed, a businessman bound for his room, an older man and a sixteen going on fifty in a short red evening dress and too much makeup that draped on his arm.

"That's a bad girl," said Brittany in a loud whisper.

The girl snarled at her, and said to her companion. "Are you going to let that little bitch get away with it?" she asked.

"Oh shut up. You were the one who said 'take the main elevator' Just because you wanted to win some more."

With that the girl snarled, mentioning something about Mrs. Hunter at home with the twins and wouldn't she be in the pink with all that money after the divorce ."She'll take you to the cleaners!"

Kevin, Jennifer, and little Brittany didn't hear the rest of the conversation because they had now reached the main floor.

He went to the nearest hostess, whispered to her, handed her a bill, and she escorted them to the restaurant, being careful to avoid going into the main gambling area which, of course, was restricted to those over the age of eighteen..

They sat down and ordered hamburger and fries for Brittany, steaks, his rare, hers medium, mashed potatoes, soup and green salad for themselves and a bottle of champagne. Brittany ordered a Rocky Road ice cream sundae, but they just had coffee and the little girl left most of the stuff on the plate, except for the dessert. She finished it off. The meal was very expensive as was all the services in the Casino Hotel, but Kevin had enough money and Jennifer was so selfish, she didn't ask if her new husband had scrounged on washing his clothes in the sink, shopping at K-Mart, or live on ketchup soup.

Kevin looked at the entertainment brochure — since this hotel and casino was now open to the families there were family type shows as well as the usual, girls in skimpy costumes with tall feathered head dresses. He opted for a demonstration of trick riding by a young woman who jumped on and off her horse and had several small dogs imitate her.

After this, they went back to their room. Brittany fell asleep, and Kevin waited until Jennifer dozed off. He then carefully got out of bed, took something out of his briefcase and started mixing. And that is what he was doing when Jennifer got up and saw the dead mouse.

"Eie!" She screamed, climbing on the nearest chair.

It was so comical and so much out of the funny papers.

"Don't worry, Jennifer," said Kevin consolingly.

He showed her a box, and the lid with a note attached to it. "What?"

"Yes darling. There's nothing to be frightened about."

"For you, no, but me?" She jumped off the chair and pulled her t-shirt over her bra. "You should've told me that you— you were having a working holiday."

He held her tight in his arms. "I wanted to show the students the danger of indiscriminate spraying of crops. What happened to the mouse is what would have happened to them. I gave the mouse an increased dosage of pesticide."

"Oh?"

"Yes," he said, giving a very serious look to the lie. "If I were to dissect the mouse, you'd see all sorts of tumors inside it, an enlarged heart, and fat around its arteries.. Do you know that …" he named a pesticide that increased the risk of cancer and heart disease. "is still being used in some countries today and even here in the United States? I couldn't experiment near the school what with all the agricultural land about."

Her blank look told him, she really didn't care. It was way beyond her. Jennifer had quit high school in grade nine and had no desire to get any education as she had her charm and good looks.. "I guess not."

"Well anyway, I'll take the mouse out and put it in the incinerator, but we don't want to panic the other guests, do we, darling?" He smiled.

"Okay."

Kevin went out the room, down the hall, and to the elevator. He drove down to the basement, walked towards the incinerator, and using his Masking technique, put the guard in a long enough daze for him to dispose of the mouse. He then returned to the room, laid besides the sleeping Jennifer, thinking that perhaps he would have to change his method. Poison would take too long, perhaps he could hire someone, and then he decided that if no one trusted him, he certainly could not trust himself.


	30. Pamela

CHAPTER THIRTY

When Tom, Sloan, and the sheriff arrived in Disneyland at the same time as Kevin had adopted Brittany, they went to Security and Venticula asked for photographs of anyone who had just come during the last two days.

"He'll probably still be here. A man in his early twenties, auburn hair, green or blue eyes, medium height," said Venticula as he took out a photograph. "Here's his picture. He might have a woman with him, around the same age, blonde, long hair, five feet seven, quite busty if you know what I mean."

"Yes I do. D cup?"

"More like an E."

There had been a photograph of Jennifer and Brittany in Jennifer's apartment, it was clear that Jennifer was the star, but Brittany's looks showed she had a beauty of her own. Her hair was darker than her mother's, more like her father's whose picture, they had to put together from the torn pieces along with the CA from the sign over the Hard Rock Café.

Venticula showed it to the gateman who looked it over, comparing it with the surveillance photographs. He did find one a few days before when Kevin had first taken Jennifer and Brittany, but none in the last day or two.

"I could check the discards," said the gateman.

"Discards?"

"Regulars."

The sheriff knew who the regulars were. They were employees, former employees, those who had taken all the tests to see if they were secretly terrorists, families, .and relatives who had gone through the same process, people who always came the same time every year.

"Kevin might be on the list," said Tom.

"He would?" asked Sloan.

"He'd make sure that people would not give a second glance."

Searching for Kevin through the discards took several employees and at least two hours, but it was not a wasted effort. He was younger then, possibly fourteen years old at the time. There were pictures taken at regular intervals with his friends, other Dominants.

Tom knew what this was about. When Lewis had given him instruction, part of his lessons was to go into a segment of society and blend in, so if anything happened to a certain party – i.e. if Lewis gave him the order to kill someone, people would be embarrassed as even suspecting him.

Kevin had worked one of the rides and looked like a typical teenager, wide eyed and swaggering.

_I wonder how long he spent looking in the mirror to get that innocent braggart look_, thought Sloan.

"We've got some from last week up to last night," said the gateman who waited while the sheriff and Tom went over them.

The most recent pictures had been time dated, and had originally been taken on a video camera Before that they had someone snapping pictures, but often times, the subject disappeared while the photographer was changing film or inserting a disc. Still Tom hoped that they would see Kevin, but no matter how hard they examined the dates on the photographs, it did not speed up. The latest was four days ago.

"Is this the most recent photograph?" the sheriff asked, "if they're still here, you might have someone coming in with the latest recording."

"No sir. I connected everyone, the commission stands, parkway, everywhere. Whatever he is, this man is not here."

"Las Vegas," said Tom. "He's tricked us. We've got to get there as quick as possible."

"We can phone the Las Vegas police."

"It won't help. He's probably married his girlfriend and adopted her little girl."

"So?" asked the sheriff.

"So is not appropriate. If I know this Kevin, soon after the marriage takes place, his wife will meet with a fatal accident."

Venticula's face grew red. He imagined the child in the clutches of this pervert, who married her mother just to get his hands on her. He swore, giving some graphic descriptions on what he would do to this, but then Tom said, "Stop."

"Why should I?"

"You misunderstand this Kevin's import is not to seduce the child, but to gain entrance into a society of which he is denied."

"Go on?"

"Once he kills the mother, he'll probably send," he turned over the picture, seeing the names on the back. "Brittany to an exclusive private school and arrange it so she meets someone of importance with the desire to have her married to …"

"The next President of the United States?" asked Sloan.

Tom hesitated for a second, not wanting to reveal more about the Dominants then prudent, but felt he had to. He gave the sheriff an abbreviated version of the Dominant society, their nobility, that is, the Chosen, the Council, and their tasks, and the means in which they disciplined their members. He made up a story about Kevin, that his _modus operendi_ resembled a man who married women and then caused their disappearance, but of that he was not sure. "When we infiltrated this group, we were very careful, our chief selected those of us who had gone through extensive physical and mental training. We had to have a MA in art, language, and literature as well, because of their use of language."

"Yeah." Venticula smiled.

"It still shows, doesn't it? Of course, I studied your English, not just through watching your shows but by reading your literature. I attended the _Universita de Santos Ingancio_, intending to go into the priesthood."

"Good thing you didn't. You'd make a poor pastor. Anyway, my education was not as good as yours. I was thinking of raising horses like my dad, but I was always playing cops and robbers on the reserve."

"I doubt that Kevin would hide in the desert. He'd be near crowds."

"Las Vegas is notorious for its crowds, tourists coming all the time."

"I might have someone who could help. She was recruited from the same class I was, although that was years later. Our chief has a good report of her."

"What's his name?"

"Roderick or Roderigo." Tom took out his cell phone and after pressing a number, got the woman. 'Hello Pamela."

"The Supreme Chosen," she said, "I am honored."

"Kevin's in the city, with a new wife – although we doubt he plans to keep her alive.'

"There is little we can do. Tailing one of our own is not appropriate for an associate of the Executioner."

"Can you delegate the duties? Can you trust your – " He saw the sheriff looking back at him, as they got in their cars and Tom saw him turn on the tracking device that traced cell phone calls..

"_Esposo?_"

"Sí. He went through anger management."

"Good I don't want him throwing Kevin off a Casino tower. But that is not what I want. If you can get him to appropriate certain individuals to er- infiltrate certain gambling establishments and try to prevent this Kevin from killing his wife."

Pamela had heard the click and pretended surprise. "Did you say kills his wife? How? And what does he look like?"

"Auburn hair, looks younger than he really is." He heard an audible sigh. "We have the sheriff here."

"Let me talk to him."

Tom handed his cell phone to Sheriff Venticula. Pamela's story about a rather handsome gringo who married women of low reputation, former streetwalkers, girls considered very popular, got Venticula interested.

"We're investigating this teacher who took time off to marry, well it'd be a lie to call the girl, a virgin," he said, "but she has a small daughter."

"I don't know about the _niña_," she said, "but when he married these girls, they somehow disappeared. He'd say they ran off, and _naturalmente_, we believed him. But it was too much of a coincidence when five girls disappeared after getting married and the poor man winds up crying, no?"

"I thought it was hard to get a divorce in Mexico."

"You heard of Mexican divorces? The girls, they run off with the salesman or the bull fighter, that is adultery, grounds for divorce and they say he is unlucky, but it is not in the same _ciudad_. Always he moves _pronto_."

"Do you have a fax machine where you are?"

"_Un momento_." After she received photo of Kevin, she agreed to look for him. "Oh can I _hablo_ with Tomas?"

"Hello Pamela."

"Am I to eliminate him?"

"Prevent him from killing this Jennifer, if he has not done so already, but especially from absconding with the little girl, Brittany. You know what will happen to her." He tapped his finger on the cell phone.

"Yes, I understand. He plans to kill her soon." She heard two loud taps. "No? He plans to marry her when she is old enough or live with her without marriage." This got another loud tap. "I am not a guesser, Supreme Chosen. He plans to marry her to someone else." This got one tap. "Is it to a friend of his?" It was back to the two taps. "He plans to marry her to one of us, and through her get a position of power."

"Correct."

"I will save the child. Kevin must not be allowed to become a leader."

"Thank you Pamela. Bring the child to the office of Sheriff Venticula, detain Kevin. I will meet you there." He turned off the cell phone, but felt even if they got to the Las Angeles airport in time, Jennifer would be dead and the little girl in the clutches of that evil Dominant who would not stop to kill his own kind.


	31. Surprise!

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Jennifer looked radiant as her husband showed her the label on the champagne bottle and imagined tiny little bubbles up her nose. She had already won five hundred dollars at the roulette table, although she was annoyed that Kevin did not gamble because his father had lost his business and Kevin had to pay for going to college by packing groceries. They were so much alike. She had to work as a cashier, wait on tables, and work as a deck hand.

They were sitting across from each other at a small circular table in a rather exclusive restaurant known to cater to newly weds. Across from it was on of the many Las Vegas Wedding Chapels, across from their table were many couples looking adoringly at each other. The lights were low and misty, the decorum a cross between tasteful and loud. Those pictures of faux stars performing a wedding ceremony showed that Las Vegas was a make believe city where reality was not what it seemed.

Jennifer adjusted the strap of her black cocktail dress and hoped that Kevin approved. By his eyes he did. She wanted to look inviting but not too much. The hem went just above her knee. Normally she would have worn her outfit a little higher, mid thigh, but she was now a married woman on her honeymoon.

"To our life together," he said as they clicked glasses.

"To us," she replied, sipped the champagne, and waited until the waiter brought their order. "I never had oysters before."

"Only the best, a small appetizer before the main course."

It was so heavenly, Roquefort dressing on a bed of romaine, green and red lettuce, endive, radicchio, tiny tomatoes, and olives with garlic breadsticks. The steaks were medium rare, the baby potatoes in garlic butter, plus French cut green beans on the side. She had purposely spent two hours at the gym to afford the extra calories. She almost forgot about Brittany, but not quite. "I hope the babysitter's dependable."

"Don't worry. The agency says she's quite good with children."

"Are you sure that fifty dollars is a bit steep?"

He patted his wife's hands. "Jennifer, my sweet, if you want to pay for the best – besides this is Las Vegas. Everything and everyone costs money here."

"You're quite right." She sipped the champagne

There was no room for dessert. "What do you want now?" he asked.

"I have to go to the little girl's room. I might be a while."

"I'll wait."

Ten minutes later, she emerged, having also spent the latter time fixing up her hair and applying a fresh touch of lipstick. "Missed me?"

"How about us going up on the roof for a dance?"

"Actually I feel a little dizzy. Must have had too much champagne, although I can't understand, I've been sipping it."

She could see Kevin's eyes on her, see his concern, and see how he took her arms and led her to the door after paying the tab.

"We could go for a drive," he said. "We don't have to be back until ten."

She agreed to that as he put his arms around her, and led her to the garage, taking the steps, one at a time, going up, and then opening the door. She felt the cool desert air, and for a time, thought she saw the street below her, but then she closed her eyes, opened it and saw that they were driving along the highway. She could feel the leather of the car seat where she sat down, and heard Kevin start the engine.

With the effects of the champagne wearing off, Jennifer licked her lips, looking adoringly at her husband, while at the same time, calculating how much salary a teacher would make. _Not much_, she thought, _unless he works at an exclusive school such as The West Coast Academic Achievement Academy Anyway, I can't fall in love with a man who only makes enough._ She had checked the school's policy, found out that the salaries were above average. Not only that, they had a good medical and insurance policy, and excellent survival benefits – not that she wanted Kevin dead, when a divorce in her favor would ensure her future.

Her first did not make more than she did, and Jennifer was determined that her marriage to Kevin would last at least long enough to partake of the financial benefits. She would send Brittany to the same school her husband worked at. Probably they had discount rates for staff's children, and she could see in her daughter all the intelligence and brightness – not realizing that her mother's love blinded her.

Brittany was a little above normal, but super intelligent no. However, she had looks and if her brains did not get her anyway, there was those Model agencies looking for child stars.

_Sure,_ Jennifer thought_, if I can persuade Kevin to move to Hollywood_.

But she knew this would mean he'd have to give up his flush teaching job with the good pension and Jennifer wanted the money.

Kevin suddenly stopped the car, and turned off the motor. "How about we take a walk?" he asked.

She saw the stars above, the desert landscape, and heard the coyotes howling. It looked so inviting, that warm sand, and as she turned her head, she could see the city behind them. Yet when she closed her eyes for a second, she thought she imagined toy buildings below and a ribbon of gold, yellow, and white lights that moved. But perhaps it was the champagne. Perhaps she was in her bed, and Kevin was telling her, lying to her how they had a wonderful time.

And I spoiled it by getting plastered. "I didn't embarrass you, did I?" she asked.

"No sweetness, you could never embarrass me. Besides, I like my wife to be energetic and not dull. About that walk? It might clear your head." He bent over and kissed her. She could feel his face against her, his cologne, strong and masculine. Strange he did not emit a strong odor like her other boyfriend's did, but she didn't care. At least it didn't clash with the _Brute._

"All right Kevin," she said, waiting until he came to open the passenger side.

:"You have to open it yourself," he said, making an effort to try the handle, "my door's stuck."

"Maybe if you slide over here," Jennifer said as she opened the door, "I'm sure I wouldn't mi–," and fell thirty stories to her death.


	32. Autopsy

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Too late. The hotel room in which Kevin and Jennifer had spent their honeymoon together had as it occupants the CSI team looking for clues and the reason why the bride had taken a tumble off the ledge. What was strange was the tire tracks and the strange odor which caused them to put on masks.

"It looks like someone parked a car up here," said the head of the team, a man in his forties, thick necked, and blonde haired, definitely not like the one pictured on the TV show.

And his assistants was certainly not a dark haired young woman, rather attractive, but a young man with the freckled face of a natural red hair and skinny to boot. As for the handsome American of part African origins, the two members of the crew who were not Caucasian was a woman in her early thirties, whose round face shouted that she belonged to the Apaches, and another girl, recently from San Francisco who was a Japanese American. There were also a couple of regular detectives there as well.

When Tom, Sloan, their children, the deputy, and Sheriff Venticula approached, the young Apache woman ran up to the latter, chattering in the Apache dialect.

"I assume you know each other," said Tom.

"My cousin."

Sloan shook her head in disbelief.

"Really," said the sheriff, "she's the daughter of my maternal uncle." He went over to the CSI leader and introduced himself and the others.

They agreed to go back to the lab where Tom identified the strange odor to Venticula as a drug used by the Dominants in the training of young Dominants.

"It's effects on ordinary Homo Sapiens are more pronounced."

"And will it cause someone to go in a car, after they are dancing in some night club?" asked the CSI man.

"Were they at a club?"

"The detectives found at least three witnesses who saw them at one of the Casinos. She was playing, but he was not. One of them saw them go into the car and drive up."

"But how could they get on the ledge outside of the apartment and wasn't there a little girl with them?" asked Venticula.

"Social services questioned the babysitter. She said that the father came to see how Brittany was getting along with the other children. He seemed normal until the little girl asked if he and mommy were having a party and then he got pale. He then took her with him."

"So he thought that Jennifer was cheating on him like she probably did her first," said Venticula.

"No," said Tom, "he was setting up what you call an excuse."

"An alibi."

"Right. He put something in her drink, that made her hallucinate, believe she was driving along the streets of Las Vegas, possibly out to the country, somewhere were a newly wed couple would get out and look at the scenery."

"Must be some powerful drug."

"Precisely. And he has extreme agility," said Tom, thinking that perhaps he should be silent about his kind's abilities, which included more than sensing your enemy five minutes ahead of time or being able to break a lock with your bare hands.

He remembered seeing a TV show about a very virile and handsome ex cop chasing crooks up the down ramp in a parking lot. That ramp looked much like that ledge on that Casino hotel. A stunt driver could have a car, especially a new style one like Kevin drove, jump from one ledge to another. Of course, that would mean that Jennifer would have to be unconscious for part of the time.

"Was there any sign of a sleeping agent in the victim's blood?" he asked.

"Why yes," said the CSI coroner, "an extra dose of valium. Taking by itself, it would have meant nothing, but she also consumed alcohol. If she had taken any more, she would have been brain damaged, not that it matters. She would have been sick the morning after and she's not pregnant. She had her tubes tied and cut."

"Kevin wouldn't had like it," said Sloan.

"He would have killed the child if she got pregnant. The boy or girl would be like him and not under his control. With Brittany, he could control her," said Tom.

"We have to find her before he corrupts her."

"Do you mean put her in pornographic movies?" asked the CSI man "If that is the case, I can tell the chief and he'll have a bulletin put out right away."

"It's not dirty movies," said Venticula, "according to our friend here," he pointed at Tom, "this Kevin wants to make it big with his old gang. He figures if he keeps the girl under wraps, send her to the best private schools, he can arrange a marriage with one of his bosses. You know it wouldn't look too good to kill the father of your daughter-in-law, would it?"

"Guess he didn't watch _The Godfather_," said CSI.

"Guess not."

Venticula's cousin, Louisa, came in with a piece of burnt paper, which the lab assistant promptly examined and restored, at least, some of the lettering. "It looks like T-R-A- 425- that's all I got."

"There's also the thread of a dress and something, yes, hair dye," said the assistant who was helping her.

"Any sign of blood?" asked the head of the CSI.

"A small spot, not Brittany's. What is this Kevin's blood type?"

"Type A," said Tom, "his ancestors came from England."

He watched the rest of the investigation. He even went to see them take the car apart, looking for clues – mud under the tire, a receipt in the glove compartment, part of a matchbook to show a motel or hotel in a different city, but Tom knew that Kevin was too smart. The only clue they had was that burnt paper. It did look like it was from a Travelers Inn, but there were dozens, no thousands with room number 425. And what if it were not a room where he was staying at?

The CSI head turned to Louisa, whispering something to her, and she in turn handed a note to one of the detectives who told his partner that they'd be on the phones awhile.

"If you give me some numbers, my wife and I will try a few of the motels," said Tom, but the CSI man shook his head. "Why not?"

"By all the information you gave about the suspect, he probably knows you. Even if you can disguise your voice — and I am sure you can — I am sure that this Kevin will recognize it. He might even pretend to be the hotel manager. Our detectives have had years of experience and you used to be on the Mexican police force. They did things different."

Tom agreed. He knew about Mexico. "Come Sloan," he said, "we have to go." He gave Venticula his phone number and cell phone.

"I'll have my deputy follow you home, just in case that creep comes after you."

Tom thanked him, and he and Sloan were on the way back with their children.

He stopped at the school, told him of Jennifer's mysterious jump off a balcony. The principal knew of her slightly, and one of the children at the school had a sister who was a friend of Brittany. The principal called the radio and the local television station that flashed a picture of the little girl to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

If someone saw Kevin and Brittany, even if he had disguised her, he would have difficulty hiding her for long.


	33. Grandeur

There is reference to the series, 'L.O.S.T" in this chapter, and a possible explanation for the Polar Bears on the island as well as a possible solution to who the original Others were.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Kevin paced the room. He couldn't get Brittany to stop crying.

"I want my mommy!"

Sure, her mom didn't pay any attention to her when she was alive and now she's pouring on those tears. _It's a wonder the Sapiens allowed their children to live— all those vocalizations of negative emotions._

He knew of the Homo Sapien custom of funerals. Their species had a similar method, but they did it in secret, although those who joined with those humans of a sacred nature often used the same ceremonies.

He, of course, being a "true" dominant, did not hold to those superstitions. He would have rather that the executioner turn a disposal ray on the body along with a silent invocation that all humans be eradicated or put under his power.

The Executioner, however, being a friend of Paul Sedona, would not go with such an idea.

Right now CSI was examining the body, looking for traces of the hypnotic drug that had made Jennifer believe she was driving with her husband along the highway instead him moving the car up the side slope of the balcony.

And on looking out his window (he now had rented a fifth floor apartment in a major hotel chain) he could see the construction going on to increase the size of the barriers so no one else would "accidentally" fall off to their death.

He had made a show of grief, very convincing—a few tears at the appropriate time, and had looked at the coffins, bemoaning that he, a teacher, did not make enough salary. The school had a funeral arrangement package, but you had to have at least a five-year tenure to partake of this benefit and most of the teachers were there until past retirement.

.For Sapiens, it seemed, sixty-five was the retirement age even for professors and teachers, as if suddenly on that particular date, one's brain turned to mush. However, the school had gotten around it, saying that because of the unusual nature of the students, someone who had actually been at the event, i.e. World War 11, would best explain what went on.

It did not matter to him, for Kevin had no intension of being a teacher where for five years. He did not worry about the Sapien children, but those of his own kind. A school like that was the best place for them to blend in.

He remembered hearing about sometime after the Diaspora, when some of them, had blended in with the military, easy to do when one still carried the names of their ancestors. It had only been a few, going to the various bases, pretending to study so they could advance up the ranks. They had mainly avoided the East Coast for rumors had arose that the Lost Ships had disappeared there soon after the end of the Sapien World War II.

One group had round up in Canada when they heard that the zoo at Sydney, Australia, was shipping several North American animals, among them a male and female Polar Bear with cups. It was during that voyage, the ship apparently went down.

And then later, Kevin learned that there was a message received. They had landed on an island, once used by the Japanese in World War II, honeycombed with bunkers, and that a scientific group was doing an isolation experiment.

After that, there was nothing, until another ship, this one from France, disappeared in the same locality.

The older boy who told the younger ones who had just joined, boys and girls like Kevin, the tale of the disappearing ships, making it as frightening as only a Dominant nearing the age of fifteen could.

"And my progenitor said that every now and then, the wind blows from the coast, and you can hear the sounds of the men 'where are we' and if you are not too careful, their long claws come at your throat and they say, 'join us!'." At this, he made a leap at the children along with a horrible roar.

Such were the tales told to those whom the Homo Sapiens raised. Those raised by their own kind knew this as nonsense. No Homo Sapien had the knowledge to cause ships from different periods of time to crash — or even two planes, one a small aircraft, and one, a passenger plane.

Kevin smiled. They had set up a base. _We have infiltrated California and the Southwest States, the Executioner and the Advocate have found ours in New England, or rather Deleware. Why would there not be those who have gone farther. Australia and New Zealand_, he thought, _a perfect base for us, especially in the desert portions of the island continent where we can be undetected_.

After giving Brittany a snack, he turned on the computer, entered his password, and was now in the section that no Sapien, no matter how intelligent, could find. Soon, he found all the information on the arrival, the disappearance of the Lost Ships, the Diaspora- the persecution of their kind and flight from Mexico, the scattering of the groups into California, and then located one. He then found the listings giving those who had joined the Army, Navy, and Air Force, going through each name, until he found those of his own. He then went even farther, until he located the names of the men and women who had gone with that Sydney expedition.

He then went to the map section, estimating the travel time between Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and Sydney, Australia.

Now all he needed to do was to attend his wife's funeral, and disappear before the police found him. From then, it was to trace the steps of the hapless group that had disappeared, get on this unchartered island, kill any Homo Sapiens who were there, be made the leader of his own who survived, and from thence, it would be a short leap to New Zealand and Australia.

Getting rid of the device used to wreck the ships and the planes would be no problem.


	34. Removing

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

They had come to a dead end. Kevin had disappeared and with him, little Brittany.

It had been a week after Kevin and Brittany vanished, and although Tom had looked into home schooling, he knew that if they came and lived with him as well as John and Elena, they would be in danger.

Kevin had a charismatic charm about him that could persuade anyone. He had that when he was younger, pretending he had the mind of a child of eight, and now that he was an adult in Homo Dominant society, he could go the other way and pretend to be someone in his mid or late twenties.

This was what being a Dominant was like. You had a short childhood, a short adolescence until you reached fifteen or so. Then suddenly you became a young adult, and you stayed that way longer than a Homo Sapien would. Kevin looked to be in his early twenties and would look that way and be biologically that way, even into his forties and that made him dangerous.

"Does your deputies mind, you taking the time off?" asked Sloan.

"He's okay about it and he is studying for his exam. I asked Cabaño about it, but her tribal chief called her and asked if she'd like to rejoin the Reservation Police Force. It was sudden and she felt she had an obligation, so she's gone. You have a nice home," he said as he looked around.

The fruit tree in the back was full of apricots, they had some pepper plants, and there was fresh soil spread about over the grass. Dominants never put concrete blocks, laid brickwork, or anything that would give people the idea they were on the move. No Dominant had a trailer parked in the back, or a garage large enough to hold one. When they moved, they went on foot or in an ordinary car. They left the furniture behind after wiping off their fingerprints and if they could not, they burnt the house.

When someone found the house empty or the house in cinders, they wondered how those poor people would survive with only the clothes on they wore.

"Tom will be back soon," said Sloan as she opened the dishwasher.

"I hope so, but I doubt that getting his amigos to watch the airports would do. We've already got detectives all over." He had an idea. "I wonder if he'd get on a ship, you know one of those Princess Lines."

"Could be," said Tom, who just came through the front door with another man, "This is Paul Sedona. Kevin killed his wife."

Mr. Sedona's face didn't change, but his eyes narrowed and the sheriff got the impression that if Sedona had grabbed hold of this Kevin, it would be the end of the latter.

"Hello father," said Sloan.

"Hello daughter." He glared at the sheriff.

"Oh he's to assist in finding the small daughter of Kevin's wife," said Tom.

"Is he useful?" asked Paul.

"So far we found Kevin went to Disneyland and then to Las Vegas."

"But without him, you would succeed." Sedona suddenly faced the front door at the same time as Tom did.

There were others coming. Both Dominants tensed, not to make the sheriff aware for he had gone to his car to get some papers and he had just reached into his glove compartment when he saw four smaller shadows.

Twenty years of law enforcement had made him aware. He turned around to see John and Mary as well as a boy and girl whom he recognized as students of the _West Coast Academic Academy._

"Aren't you out of school a bit early?" he asked.

"Mice," said Mary, "One of the teachers said she heard noises and with all that talk about terrorists, the principal decided to have a search of every room in the school. Oh I'm hungry."

"Is that true?"

"The noise was deafening. The principal showed prudence in dismissing us."

"He was wise in doing so," her father replied, "however it is imprudent for you to remain here."

"We were approached by Frederick who informed us that our lives would be complicated by us staying."

"And why would a descendant of the Lost Ships inform you thus?"

"One of the guards did not show up for work." She saw her father's eyebrows narrow. "Not to guard us, but to prevent certain criminal elements from getting into the Academy."

"We presumed it is so that their children can attend the Academy even though their marks are substandard," added Richard and whispered, "the construction underneath is proceeding as planned. The guard is no more. His inquisitiveness sealed his destruction. The principal on hearing this, dismissed the school, but gave the reason as rodent infestation."

Tom agreed. The rat poison used to spray the grounds might be dangerous to his kind as well He walked over to the sheriff and told him of the situation.

"Look I didn't mind them looking through the mug books and giving the rundown on anyone suspicious working at their school, but…" begin Venticula.

"You didn't object before," said Tom.

"This is different. Before we had no idea of the danger this Kevin would pose."

"But would you object if someone more mature would help? Paul Sedona knew Kevin when he was younger and has insight into his nature."

"When the school's infestation is removed, we will be back there," said Elena who was taking the cups from the dishwasher.

"No, you won't. Oh the cups go in the right section," said Sloan, putting the glasses in the cupboard and going over to Tom. "Kevin was able to get away because he sensed all of us."

"That is what we do," said Tom, "and why is it of significance now?"

"Kevin probably saw the sheriff and made the connection that he is with us, but what about Paul? Would Kevin believe all of you work together?"

"No, he wouldn't. He would assume that Paul is making, what you call an official visit, but I get the idea. You are very astute, Sloan. Kevin and Paul are enemies. I will contact the school. We have no choice now. They have to stay with us."

An hour later, John and Mary were officially out of school. (They recommended a good home school program), Tom notified Roderick who said that he would give an excuse that Richard would be unable to continue because they were moving, and Elena's family, too, got the okay to leave.

"All right, John, Elena, you go with Paul. Richard, Mary, I will call Daniela's mate and you will go with him," said Tom. "You will use the appropriate disguises."

"Was Daniela the girl who drew a picture of the constellations on the column?" asked Richard.

"Yes. Her father is like us. Her mother had the condition known as anorexia. He is now ready to come to the fold," said Paul. "The mother died."

"They were going to kill Mrs. Leon and Daniela."

"They may have disposed of Mrs. Leon, but not of Daniela. It is not like you. If John Sedona hadn't investigated, we would not have known that you were Paul's daughter, but we already knew about Daniela's father. The Council gave the order to grab the girl and had already arranged a union with a Chameleon."

At that juncture, the sheriff came in. "I just got a call, saying they saw someone looking like Kevin in the San Francisco airport with a young child with him."

"How much time do we have?" asked Tom.

"Look it's out of my jurisdiction, but I called the police there. There'll be a Detective Swanson waiting for you."

"Thanks," said Sloan.

"I'll notify Roderick," said Tom and redialed Roderick's number. At the same time, Paul also dialed his cell phone, but kept his voice low.

"That's done," said the head of the Chameleon program.

"What's done?" asked Sloan.

"We have just removed Kevin's allies," said Tom.

What allies, thought Sloan, as she packed her traveling clothes.

"The Council has asked the family of Scott to come in. He is a lieutenant of Roderick. They will keep the house until our return."

"And then we will get Kevin."

"And if not, his former allies will do."


End file.
